


Revelations

by Slauba



Category: Jurassic Park - All Media Types
Genre: Dinosaurs, F/M, Love, OFC - Freeform, Violence, lots of chaos theory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-14
Updated: 2018-09-20
Packaged: 2019-07-12 02:41:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 20
Words: 67,469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15985895
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Slauba/pseuds/Slauba
Summary: When Angela Grant is offered to go to Jurassic Park she takes the chance along with Billy Brennan. When she gets to the island she realizes everything her father and her boyfriend Ian Malcolm talked about was true. Ingen created monsters and she's about to meet them.





	1. The Prologue

**This story takes after the events of the first and second movie**

* * *

 

San Diego was a peaceful city in California…well it was busy, but peaceful and beautiful. Today though the skies were dark and rain seemed to loom upon the civilians in the city who were rushing about trying to finish whatever objects and activities they needed to get done. In a small apartment, ten miles away from the zoo, paced a tall and flustered Ian Malcolm who was currently trying to decide whether or not to shoot himself in the foot multiple times with a stun gun just to see what the odds would come out to. In the master bedroom was a young woman with frizzy red-brown hair who was rattling off about different subjects as she packed a small, leathered green bag with clothes that had accumulated over the years she and Ian had been together. Her tan work clothes from the zoo were dirty and her boots left small smudges on the carpet that really needed to be replaced soon or else the tenant was going to start throwing fits. Ian sighed and closed his eyes for a moment as he tried to tune out the fly buzzing in the window sill. There was a cat outside that was taunting a dog, the car horns outside reminded him of New York when he taught that seminar a year ago, someone was blasting music through their stereo either in the apartment next to him or above him and-

"Ian god damnit will you listen to me?!"

Ian spun around, his leather shoes twisting easily on the carpet as his black button up shirt was hit with a flying shirt. He ran a hand through his short black hair and tossed his glasses on the couch. He looked back up at the frustrated woman in front of him, holding two bags in his doorway, a lost expression on her pretty face.

"I'm trying to Sarah but I-I don't know where to begin when you keep interrupting me. You- you keep accusing me of cheating on you but I'm not-"

"I saw you with her! In daylight Ian, at the park I saw you. If I had access to the cameras I'd present them in court! Save it Ian. Just save it. You know if you listened more to the people around you instead of just existing in your own world you may learn something new. Your chaos theories were going to hell anyways." Sarah moved past him heatedly, tossing the two bags on the couch to accompany the other one, Ian threw his hands up as she moved to the kitchen. He stared at the ceiling for a moment before moving through his apartment to where she was, "You can say what you want Ian but I'm going all right?"

"I listen just fine! I have the University crawling up my ass every second about kids dropping and coming into my classes and Kelly's choosing to go live with her mom in a few months all the way in Colorado and Hammond's will keeps eating at me everyday even though I promised to not take it-"

"Right, blame it on your job. That's what you seem to be doing best at. Always, 'oh I have to stay late for the next four days grading papers' even though tests are over because it's a new subject! What the hell are you doing at the University Ian? Playing checkers?! And don't even bring up Kelly, she's growing up and Colorado is better than living here with a dad who doesn't give her the time of day except when he comes home at eleven just in time to say goodnight! Really Ian, it's not that big of a surprise!"

"At least I don't-"

"Don't even say it!" she chucked a shoe at him and he ducked, watching as it landed on the wall and left an imprint. Sarah chuckled in frustration and pinched her nose, "God, you're a piece of work. Excuses every day it seems. We can't even sit through dinner without an argument these days, and you know what? I keep forgiving you, thinking it's just your job."

"Sarah please. You know what happens every time we do this; just stay, save us both the taxi fare." He joked, offering a crooked smile but Sarah just glared at him. He picked up one of her shirts on the floor that she usually used to dry dishes and she took it from him softly and tossed it to the couch on a bag that Ian was beginning to really hate, "Come on Sarah. Please, be rational…or at least think about it."

She leaned against the counter as Ian stepped closer, she put a hand on his chest and pushed back softly, her green eyes shining slightly under the lights and she dropped her head. Ian reached out and tried to wipe away the tear that threatened to fall.

"Ian-"

"Sarah, I'm listening now. Please, just stop and think about what you're doing. What am I supposed to tell Kelly? She loves you, matter off act she's the one that pressured me into dating you in the first place-but then again she probably did that to get a little hero worship in on her small brain and-Ow!"

Sarah retracted her hand from Ian's chest which had stung him right through his shirt. The look of pain was gone from her eyes and she gave a disbelieved huff of anger, her eyebrows knitted together and she jutted one hip out.

"So dating me was pressure?"

_Good going Ian, YOU IDIOT._

"Sarah…that's-that's not the way I meant it to come out." He held up a hand and Sarah pushed passed him going straight for the couch where her things were. Ian groaned, "This…this is what the chaos theory was modeled after-Sarah wait!"

Outside the sky loomed darker than the previous hour as Sarah walked to the taxi she had called when she came to Ian's. Ian followed behind her, dressed in all black and fitting in with the sky perfectly. He didn't want her to leave, he truly loved her. Loved her smile, loved her stubbornness on most topics they argued about. He cared about her; especially after what happened four years ago…Ian reached out softly, pulling Sarah closer to him as she tossed her bag in the trunk.

"Sarah, please…don't do this." He lifted her chin up with a finger; she sighed and reached up, giving him a soft kiss on his cheek. He closed his eyes and felt something tug in his stomach, "Sarah please don't do this. I love you-"

"It's best for both of us. Fresh air is good, time apart is healthy okay?" she traced a finger around the scar on his neck from four years ago. An unexplained feeling shivered through her and she retracted her hand from him quickly. He frowned and raised an eyebrow, "Ian please. After what happened with…everything, you pulled away and neither Kelly nor I could reach you. I don't want to be the next ex-Mrs. Malcolm, I really don't. We both have our careers set out for us…so…if you need me call my agent in Africa."

"Sarah!"

She stepped away from him with a sad smile and got into the taxi. Ian leaned into the open window, something inside of him flaring he held up a hand as the taxi started the car.

"Wait-wait-wait okay? Come on Sarah I'm-I'm on my last boat here. Please think about what you're doing to us-to me."

"I have my ticket for Africa. I'm leaving soon Ian. I'm sorry. Take care of yourself okay? God knows you forget to buy food for yourself."

"Sarah."

"I'll call you soon, don't tell Kelly yet." she rolled up the window and he was forced back from the glass, the curb behind him nearly tripping him. He stuffed his hands in his pockets as he watched the yellow taxi pull away from the curb of the apartment and disappear down the street. Above him, rain began to fall and grey clouds grew darker as the sun began to go down. He felt the icy hot drops of water his face as he stood still. He was a black figure on a cold sidewalk with rain that felt like acid on his skin. He sighed and looked around, spotting people closing their doors from the coldness sweeping through the air.

"Yeah…Yeah." He sighed to himself and turned, walking back into his apartment and climbing the stairs ignoring the memories of when he first brought Sarah to his place and he geeked out telling her where the wood on the banister came from.

Ian scoffed and entered his living space, closing the door behind him with his foot as he undid his damp shirt button by button until it was hanging loosely by his sides. He clicked the lights off, drew the blackout curtain shut and sat down into his couch flicking the TV on and letting it drone out the silence and emptiness around him. He looked around and spotted a picture of him, Kelly and Sarah in Hawaii when Kelly decided to take up surfing. He laughed and set the frame back down. God, he had been so scared for Kelly, even more scared when Sarah took Kelly windsurfing the next day.

He should have seen this coming, Sarah was right she always was usually. After Sorna and the Zoo fiasco he had pulled away from everything. He was just tired, tired of dinosaurs attacking him in his dreams and tired of having to fix what Hammond had created. He retreated into his University and seminars like Alan Grant had done after Nublar, he stayed late after school hours just for the hope of not passing the zoo on the way to work where the Park was still being torn down bit by bit.

He hated seeing it on his way to work, despised it if it was lit up while it was being taken apart. But Sarah…after Sorna and the zoo she had delved even further into paleontology and archeological digs. She disappeared for two weeks once without a word and when she came back she had loads of research in her bag about dinosaurs she had accumulated. They had an argument, a large one where they didn't bother talking for a month when she brought up interest in scoping Isla Nublar where the first Park was built. He had blown up, anger seething through him like none other. It wasn't so much that he was angry about her interest, he was afraid she'd go anyway and he'd have to face his nightmares again trying to reach her. Ian flicked the channel to shark week then flicked it to an episode of CSI.

So they both were unequally matched. Her interest in returning, his strong need to not return and to protect her from the monsters that had evolved rapidly and  _ha_ , reproduced. Ian folded his arms across his chest as he closed his eyes softly. As for the accusing of him cheating on Sarah…that was only partially true and an incredibly taboo subject he had deemed. It wasn't the fact that the girl was younger than him it was the fact that she was one of his students and Alan Grant's daughter. Call him crazy but he knew Grant despised him somewhat and if he knew…he'd be facing the dinosaurs again against his own will and Alan would watch him from a helicopter.

Angela Grant, one of his brightest students in his classes who had jumped a few grades due to her mother's smarts. He probably wouldn't have noticed her or even gave her a second thought had she not come up one day after school and introduced herself. After that she had taken interest in his chaos theories and had opinions of her own. She had questioned his findings and he had questioned her sanity but they seemed to at least become acquaintances. She wasn't Grant's biological daughter but Ellie's from a previous marriage, Angela had said she preferred living near Grant than her mother because they seemed to have more in common. And they did, even though they weren't biological Ian could see Alan in her, in the way she spoke and the way she surveyed situations and asked questions. She even wore a red bandana on her wrist that Ian recognized from the one Alan wore to Isla Nublar the first time. She was a pretty twenty two year old senior, short brown hair to her shoulders and brown eyes that smiled for her…and she was experienced in the art of Tae-Kwon-Do that he had the displeasure of experiencing when he approached her in the parking lot. His wrist felt broken time to time even though she had only sprained it back then.

As for the actual 'cheating' part that had come much later when he had run into her coming out of the library at ten o'clock finishing up a paper he had assigned. They had a late dinner at Denny's as a way for him to make up as an apology. She was swamped with homework and he had known it but Grant's daughter or not it was still a class assignment. After that they'd meet a few nights a week for a late dinner after she typed essays and he finished grading.

Then one night, when Sarah was all the way in India taking pictures of tigers he had asked her out on a formal date to a restaurant he had found. She had accepted and their night had ended in a rather intense make out session. Even when Sarah got back they'd still have dates, without Angela knowing Sarah was with him, and then he started to purposefully flunk her so she'd be forced to get a tutor which could only be him since no one taught the chaos theory anywhere else. The tutoring and Skype sessions really killed the both of them and before Ian knew it he had two women on his arms which, back in college was his M.O. but this was far beyond different and more difficult to balance. Angela was quiet and considerate and never bugged him but that bothered him. Why would Sarah start getting suspicious yet Angela not really giving a damn? Ian sighed; they're so hard to understand.

Women.

BRRRIINNGGGGGG!

Ian jumped up at the screeching sound of the phone ringing as rain pelted the earth from outside. Snapping out of his reverie he grabbed the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey dad, it's Kelly."

"Kelly, sweetie how are you? Are you going to come visit before you head to uh, to Colorado with your mom?" he smiled at the sound of his kid's voice, relaxing back into the couch as she rattled on about nothing and boys, sometimes…sometimes he wished that Rex had eaten him.


	2. The sound of chaos

Rain crashed outside as forks on plates crashed inside the warm house of my stepdad's and mom's house. My baby brother Joshua laughed as he smashed potatoes on his toy dinosaur I had gotten him for Christmas a year ago. My mom laughed softly and shook her head as I turned my attention back to the weird meat sitting on my plate, jabbing it with a fork as my dad next to me moved it around his plate and away from the salad. My stepdad was across from me along with my mom talking amusingly about something that happened at his work as the dad next to me nodded in time to make it seem like he was listening. I smirked and took a bite of the salad as my mom excused Joshua to go to his room and leave us alone in peace. The air in the room was tense and awkward like it always is when my dad comes in from wherever he was at doing his digs. He and my mom are still close; they have to be I guess with Joshua being my dad's biological son and all but Mark…Mark sets him on edge. I watched as Mark and my dad exchanged amused looks as my mom sat back down in a huff, brushing blonde hair from her face.

"Trouble Ellie?" Alan asked next to me as he took a sip from water, she gave an annoyed but joking smile as Mark laughed. I smiled and went back to my food, knocking my dad's foot with my own. His brown boot hit mine back as well, a smirk on the corner of his lips.

My parents broke up after their 'trip' to an island when I was a freshman in college. Alan Grant and Ellie Sattler, world's top paleontologists and diggers were my parents. Alan wasn't my real dad but I considered him more of a father than Mark. My biological dad passed away when I was seven so Ellie took custody of me. Mark was a retired army guy and really annoyed me when he came home but Alan was different... He wasn't big on talking but he could go on for hours about any subject that I'd bring up.

There was this one time that he took me to the outskirts of Nevada on a dig to uncover a species of mammoth or something when I was a senior in high school and pretty much flipped my career choices. I had wanted to get a job as a makeup artist on a TV show but after they uncovered that wooly mammoth bone in front of me…it really changed me.

Then when I was a sophomore Alan told me about JurassicPark, a time in his life he always refused to tell me about. I had been studying animals then at the Santa Barbara zoo with my friend Jarod Miller and the stories my dad told just fueled me, yet again, into switching majors and Universities to study paleontology and all that other dinosaur stuff. Jarod went on to get his own show but I was knee deep in studying papers to reach my own goal. So, I checked in at the University in San Diego and relocated and after a while Ellie, Mark and Alan relocated to the outskirts of San Diego as well. It was nice, she wouldn't have to fly everywhere to see me and Alan would stay in my apartment when he came into town every once in a while to catch up and spend time with Joshua.

I felt a hand tap my thigh and I was pulled from my thoughts. Alan was looking at me funny as he sliced into the odd meat; Ellie and Mark were in another conversation.

"What?"

"I asked how school was going. Finals are coming up and your graduation is close as well. I know Ian usually swamps his students with homework for no reason these last few weeks." He took a bite and I nearly burst out laughing at his expression. He choked the meat out onto the napkin as I covered my laughter with my own.

"Insult to the chef much?" I whispered and he just nudged me again. Mark wasn't the best chef when it came to meat, he was used to all those military meals being preserved…which weren't all that bad to be honest.

"Be nice to the old man…now answer my question. How's the mathematician these days?"

_Oh god,_  Ian Malcolm.

Ian was one of my teachers and coincidentally on of Alan's nemesis' apparently. He taught his mathematician crap and chaos theories at the University and had gone with Ellie and Alan to JurassicPark and nearly got his leg torn off…and I really admired him. From far away he looked like a playboy kind of guy with the nice suits and expensive shoes but he was actually a sweetheart with a good taste in clothes.

"He's good, obviously tied up with all this crap homework and essays but I think he's doing pretty well." I smiled and stuffed my face with lettuce as I felt butterflies flutter in angry hungry packs in my stomach.

"And Sarah Harding?"

_Cue the guilt trip, thanks Alan._

"Good I guess. He doesn't really announce his life to the world you know."

"He tutored you though right? Are you raising your grades up?"

"Well yeah but it's not like we read each other's diaries or anything." I shook my head and Alan gave a smile, "My grades are fine dad. Quit buggin'."

He laughed softly and popped up when Ellie turned conversation around the table again. I went back to picking at the meat again and slicing tiny chunks off of it. Ian was a nice guy, tall with dark hair and really pretty eyes. He used to have thicker hair but he keeps it nicer now. I remember when I had introduced myself to him one day after my dad told me he used to know Ian. The look on his face had been priceless I mean, the guy stutters a lot when he's not in lecture mode and the stuttering had been turned up in surprise. He had looked at me in amazement and scrutiny saying 'Alan-Alan Grant? You're his kid?' had been the point he had been trying to get at. After I told him about the stories my dad had told and my interest in paleontology and his theories we had hit it off. Well, as far as a teacher and a student could hit it off. He told stories of the Park when I stayed after class working on a paper and I literally ate it up.

I grew up listening to Ellie tell stories about digging up dinosaur bones then the bomb dropped when she told me about the Park and then Ian told me his own stories and views on it. God, it was amazing just listening to him and combining all their stories together in my head. After a while we met up for dinner during late nights of studying and grading and I know,  _I know_  somewhere along those lines something had shifted between us but I was too high on having the attention of one of the world's leading chaos theorists talking to me to care. I started to like him more and more and then I started writing on the back of my tests questioning everything in his life and getting sarcastic responses back. And then that one night when he took me to dinner and we ended up in the backseat of his car making out…god forbid I mention that I even like Ian as a teacher, Alan would skin the dark haired man alive. Ellie would too most likely.

I stabbed the meat and stuffed it into my mouth nearly choking in the process. Mark laughed.

By the time dinner was finished the rain was still pouring like we were in Seattle and I really needed to get back to my apartment before everything got flooded. I shrugged on my jacket as Ellie kissed Alan on the cheek and gave him a hug before Joshua attacked him. Mark hugged me along with Ellie and I smiled as Alan set Joshua down softly.

"Ready?" he turned to me, running a hand through his chestnut-graying hair.

"Race you to the car." I smiled back as we jogged out to the driveway and into my warm Chevy. We waved goodbye and Ellie shut the door to the warm house as I turned the heat on and buckled in. Alan revved the car to life and we sat back for a moment letting the car warm up. He had his eyes closed as a soft Bon Jovi song wafted over the radio gently smothering the silence in the car. I shifted in my seat and shifted again until I was facing him.

"Hey dad…would you ever go back there?"

"Hm?" he opened his eyes, the blue in them always making me jealous of my dull brown ones.

"Back to Nublar where the Park is. I mean you always talked about how pretty it was, how much it reminded you of Hawaii and the savannah at the same time."

"No. I don't think anyone would ever want to go back there."

"That bad still? Maybe it could have changed."

"Why are you asking?" he stared at me for a moment as he pulled out of the driveway and onto the road, flicking the wipers on at full speed. I shrugged and turned in my seat again trying not to remember all the information I had looked up on the island a week ago.

"I don't know. I was just thinking that if I could, I'd go just to have a chance at seeing a long neck."

"Brachiosaurus. And that's the kind of thinking that nearly got your mother and I killed along with several other people."

"Did you think that would happen when you went? I mean, besides the raptors and the rexes trying to kill you was it really all that horrible that you and Ian make it out to be?"

"It was beautiful, seeing that kind of animal come back to life…but life found a way. They reproduced, they grew and changed, they got smarter and bigger than us in more ways than one."

"And had sharper teeth…can you drop me off at school?"

"Why?" he turned down the street to the University anyways and I felt sweat began to fall down my neck so I gave another shrug.

"Kelly wanted me to visit, said I could hang and she'd drive me home. I won't be long."

"Ian's kid?"

"No, she's in Wisconsin or something though she'll be coming in the summer to check out colleges and places for her gymnastics career so we'll be hanging out big time then. She made it into the junior Olympics too by the way. But the Kelly that spilt coffee on you is the one I'm seeing."

"Good for her, surprising since she's got Ian's DNA in her blood stream. That Kelly is a bit…off."

"Just 'cause Ian and you clash doesn't mean you can pick at little Kell's. But the other one's in love with you, that's why."

"I could be that girl's father though."

"Don't underestimate a fan girl dad." I laughed and Alan gave a small smile as we pulled up at a red light. He gave me a look and I raised an eyebrow, "What?"

"You hang around Ian and Kelly a lot is all."

"He tells exciting stories and Kelly's my friend…and I may be trying to score some brownie points to get a B in his class."

"By sucking up to him and feeding the man's ego?"

"A man's ego's got to eat. Don't worry dad, nobody could replace you." I smiled and grabbed his hand for a second before he squeezed it back and released it to grip the steering wheel.

"Except Mark."

"Mark's a jerk, mom was totally better with you." I threw my hands up in a wild gesture as we turned into the University parking lot. He chuckled as we neared the dorm building.

"Thanks. Be back soon or call if you're staying late. I'll leave the door unlocked." He leaned over and gave me a kiss on the cheek and I nodded as I planned my dash to the front door, "Hey I uh…I love you."

"I love you too, see you later!" I called as I slammed the door and sprinted my way across the grass and to the dorm room entrance.

The rain hit my face like acid and I ducked into the building, waving to my dad as he pulled out and drove away. I pulled my hood down and gave a tiny huff, enjoying the way my breath could be seen in the air. San Diego had odd rain showers. Butterflies floated in my stomach as my nervousness ebbed away, okay so I had lied. Kelly Branchot didn't even live on campus but he didn't need to know that. I made my way along the covered path to the library. I had work to do that was off the record for everyone in my life, I had a chance that I was really wanting to take but so far the chances of getting to go there were looking pretty slim.

I entered the building and shook for a minute before checking in; I was here enough that the librarian practically knew me by my zodiac sign. I looked around as I came to a staircase that was closed and locked. I took out the silver key in my pocket and quickly turned it before slipping in and flipping on the lights. Upstairs was the computer room…and I may have copied a key from Ian's keychain to get in here, which wasn't technically illegal but then again it was pretty much against the University rules. I climbed the steps two at a time and managed to find a computer in the pitch black of the room. The screen blared to life and I blinked a few times.

Isla Nublar…Ian had been talking about it a lot lately because of Hammond's death-will thingy and the fact that Nublar was pretty much open to the public now for a short amount of time because Cost Rica was fighting for full control of it since nobody really wanted to take on Hammond's responsibility. Hammond and the Costa Rican government  _had_  control of it but since things hadn't been finalized before his death problems were rising. There was talk though, about people going to Nublar on cruises starting soon so the world could get in on the action before it was taken away…again.

I swiveled in the chair and logged on quickly, accidentally tapping louder than I wanted to. Nobody would be coming up here at this time but there was always a first time for everything. Technically kids couldn't be in the library after eleven o'clock but the librarian knew the definition of cramming for tests thankfully…and secret research. I tensed as I heard a door slam down stairs but relaxed when I didn't hear any footsteps. Even if I got locked in I could get out with the key so I wasn't too worried.

I googled my last page I was on retaining Hammond and the Rican government and settled into a comfortable position as my eyes scanned the multiple pages and links in front of me.

_Return to Nublar? Team of men and women are underway…_

_Win a trip to Isla Nublar, the island of dinosaurs and…_

_Win a car and trip to Isla Nublar…._

So many pages passed in front of me with the same basic thing; win a trip to Nublar. I clicked on another link and sighed, same thing. I typed in Hammond and looked around that for a bit.

After about ten minutes of nothing I scanned over an article from someone at the Boston Globe. Hammond wanted his equipment back from the island so it doesn't interfere with the growing of the animals. I highlighted the page in blue and clicked about the equipment and who Hammond wanted to go. I hit print and sat back, knowing it'd take a while. The printers here sucked.

Everyone's scared of this island, everyone Hammond had listed down point blank refused and the people who volunteered backed down when the government got involved. Whenever the government gets involved everyone freaks, Jesus Christ. I scrolled down again and again. Despite Ian and Alan's stories and my common sense I really wanted to go, I wanted a chance to get to see what they saw. I don't even care if I see a dinosaur; I think I'd be pretty pumped just to see the island in person from one hundred feet up in the air. Hell, I think I'd faint even if I found a leaf from there. I shifted in my chair again.

If I had been paying attention to the outside world instead of being in my amazed bubble of false reality I would have heard the library door open and light footsteps falling on the stairs and the creak of the other door opening. I also should have paid attention to the cologne that filled the air the second a tall, dark haired man entered.

"What are you doing here?"

I yelped as a hand came down on my shoulder and a smooth voice filled my head. I jerked and fell off my chair, heart thumping as Ian Malcolm stared down at me with a bemused expression, hair wet from the rain outside. The screen flickered as I frowned at him as he bent down to give me a hand. He smiled as I fixed my jacket and calmed down my body; he leaned against the desk and folded his arms in front of him calmly. He was wearing black wrinkled slacks and a halfway open shirt showing tanned skin along with his black blazer he never seemed to take off. His short dark hair fell on his forehead and-oh god that crooked smile…I put myself in front of my screen as Ian looked over me. I took in a deep shaky breath, the damn butterflies fluttering back in again.

"Oh hi Ian."

He took in a deep breath and gestured to me softly in amused frustration.

"Why…why are you uh, here?"

"…Late night homework. Totally forgot again you know." I smiled weakly and tried to exit out of the tabs I was in but it was difficult since I didn't, you know, know where the damn exit button was.

"I didn't assign homework Angela."

"Makeup work. For a different class. You know you're not the only teacher I have Ian."

"You're caught up in all your classes-"

"For another-"

BEEEP. BEEEP.

My breath caught in my throat and Ian raised an eyebrow as the copying machine spit out the papers I had wanted to print like thirty minutes ago. I closed my eyes and cursed as Ian sauntered over to the machine and plucked the papers away. I stepped away from the computer and reached out to the now standing-stock-still man. No matter how many times he or Alan told me stories they always hated it when I said I was interested in the islands. Especially Ian, he got pissed.

"Ian listen I was-"

"Go to my room."

"Ian-"

"Now Angela." He turned around, dark eyes blazing in the dark and I backed away softly. He reached out as I turned away and tugged me back. I raised an eyebrow, "Key. Now."

"Oh come on!"

"Key Angela." He held out his hand and I tossed the silver metal into it before stuffing my hands in my pockets and turning for the door.

I opened it and turned to see if he was following but he was bent over my computer clicking on the history and scrolling through every page. I cursed again and began my way down the stairs. I should've looked up porn, maybe it would have thrown him off but knowing Ian…it probably wouldn't.

* * *

I swung my legs back and forth, relishing whenever they hit the side of the desk I was sitting on and giving a loud thump. My heels were numb from the force of the kicks but I kept doing it, waiting for Ian to come into his office from the library. I sighed and shrugged out of my jacket, throwing it on his chair haphazardly and picked up the rubix cube he never seemed to finish. He had two sides perfectly colored…I twisted and turned those, screwing them up until reds crossed with greens and whites. I looked up as Ian came in closing the door softly behind him with the papers I had printed out rolled neatly in one hand. He looked frustrated; a look I was beginning to think was going to become permanent on him nowadays. I set the cube down and waited for the talking-to I was going to get. It was weird, Alan never really grounded me or anything when I was out of line but when I was out of line with Ian he'd go off, maybe it was because he actually had a couple kids I don't know but he wasn't afraid to voice his opinion over any matter.

His left leg dipped a little bit as he walked over to me slowly, probably picking out the words in his head to say to me. It dipped again and he gave a small grimace before stopping in front of me folding his arms and staring down at me. He said he had got the limp from Isla Nublar, when a Rex had attacked him and shoved him through a building only to eat someone else. Ian shifted his weight to his right leg and I could literally feel the anger wafting off of him like a small volcano.

"Ian…I don't get why you hate the island so much all right? I was curious about what's going on revolving around it. You and my dad both hate it when I bring up the 'fantasy' of going there again."

"I-I just don't want you getting ideas about going there. That island is very dangerous Angela, nobody should-should even  _want_  to go there." He covered his mouth with his hand for a moment as he came closer, his knees brushing mine as I stared down at my lap, he tilted my head up with his fist, "I just want you to stay as far away from it as possible."

Ian's dark eyes searched my face and it felt like time itself was slowing down, like everything around us was going fast and we were the only two present people. The air seemed to be sucked out around us, filling us with static electricity instead. He was a good looking man, I think anyone would think so; man or woman. Dark curly hair that when it was thick enough he used to part messily and says it was good enough before running his hand through it and screwing it up even more. I mean, considering he's half my age he was still hot enough to melt me every time I see him from afar or up close. Honestly, he's the professor in all those stories and movies that every college girl wants to get in bed with and stays late after school to say 'please, is there anything I can do to make up my grade professor?' and then he'd smile crookedly-sexy and raise an eyebrow as his voice dropped an octave lower while saying 'well, there is one thing you can do…'

Oh  _fuck_  Angela shut up you're doing it again.

Besides, even though we made out like, two times he was with Sarah Harding, the most insane zoologist I've ever met and the most brilliant woman I've ever had the pleasure of talking to…which brought up a question. Why was Ian here at school at like one in the morning and not in bed with Harding? I blinked as Ian released my chin and stood up straighter, suddenly the world came zooming in on us and I could hear the hum of the air conditioner in the corner of the office and the printer down the hall coming to life with a soft tinkering.

"I tell you every single thing I remember about the Park, every single detail I can remember and yet you still want to go, want to go to this uh, this death trap?" he folded his arms again and I rolled my eyes, kicking back into his desk again.

"C'mon Ian, what are the chances of me actually going? I'm just having fun researching-"

"Fun, uh, fun gets you killed." He shook his head and tossed the papers behind me on the desk and began to pace, an action I was used to when he talked in class about something that was ebbing away at him like a rock formation, "We've gone over this Angie."

"You've gone over it, my father's gone over it and so has my mother. I've listened." I hopped from the desk angrily making him stop mid step for a second before returning to his task, "Besides these people that are planning excavations to the island are looking for legit scientists and photographers and you honestly seem to think they're going to take some college kid with them? Ingen and Biotech-"

"Biotech?"

"The other park contributor in Cuba….they're new."

"…of course. How could I not have known." He stopped pacing and faced me again, arms crossed tightly again.

"You worry too much Ian! It's not like I'll just go there unprepared. I don't know anything about dinosaurs in the sense of their habits-"

"Damn right you don't know anything."

"Now you're just being an asshole, I now know what Kelly means when she says she can't win an argument with you. How is she by the way?"

"She's good, her gymnastics-hey don't you dare change the subject." He pointed a finger at me and I huffed, hopping back up on the desk and flicking the rubix cube off the desk. I heard Ian sigh and move forward until I could feel his body heat coming over to me, he tilted my head up again and I felt my heart race as he brushed a hand over the top of my jean soaked knee. I frowned.

"What would you do if I did go? Think my dad would come?"

"I'd go the hell after you and haul you're ass back here, and you're-you're dad would kill you himself…and I'd help."

"…Thanks, I guess."

"Angela."

Ian's hands fixed themselves on the sides of my thighs and he leaned forward, reminding me of the days he'd be tired of sitting and leaned over his desk like a predator leering at its prey. Ian closed his eyes for a second and I reached come up to trace over his smooth skin that peeked from his now buttoned up shirt. He shivered softly and I dropped my tingly fingers. He leaned forward again and I closed my eyes as I felt his lips skin my cheek. He pulled back.

"The island's closed off for a reason, I-I need you to stop dreaming about going there all-all right? The dinosaurs will be wiped out-extinct again soon and that's-that's all the world needs to focus on right now. Don't even think of-of going there anymore alright?"

Guilt rose in me as I thought back to the email I had received a few days ago.

"…okay Ian. Okay."

His dark chocolate eyes seemed to see right through me, his breathing became a bit labored like mine was as his hand came up and rested on the inside of my thigh, his thumb pressed down and rubbed a tight circle on my jeans. His lips brushed against mine for a second and I closed my own eyes. His entire body covered mine and I felt my legs hook behind on his back as he pressed his lean body against mine and pressed me into his desk, shoving papers and pens off of it to make room for the both of us. His teeth sunk into my bottom lips and I ran a hand through his hair, letting the other unbutton his shirt more as he grabbed my hips and gently rocked himself against me, letting out rough moan of his own.

His tongue slipped past my lips and attacked me again as he pulled me closer and unbuttoned my jeans and pulled the zipper down. My head was spinning, every time I was with Ian my head spun like I was on cloud nine. He grabbed at my thighs again and I felt my head hit the desk as his hot lips trailed down my neck and latch onto my collarbone. I tugged his jacket off his shoulders as his left hand lifted my hips up and pulled me against him again, harder with each clothed thrust.

I opened my eyes and stared up at the ceiling as Ian slowed down and zipped me back up, his lips still trailing over my neck as I ran my fingers through his hair. I let out a breath as Ian helped me sit up and I pulled his jacket back up over his shoulders and let him lean on me as his head rested in the crook of my shoulder and neck. His hands wandered over my thighs softly, comforting and yet still wanting more. I turned and lifted his head up, giving him a kiss on the lips and feeling the burn of where he had bit me on my own. I smiled to myself as I tried to fix his hair; he gave me an odd look.

"What?"

"Nothing. You should get home, Sarah's probably wor-"

"Sarah left."

"…what?" I looked at him as Ian looked down and stepped back away from me. Cold air rushed around me, the hot mood from just a few minutes ago vanishing completely.  _Insert foot-into-mouth good job you idiot._

"Said I, uh,  _drifted_  apart from everything."

"I'm sorry."

"No-no she was right. I-I was neglecting a lot of things in my life." Ian ran a hand over his face and I hopped down from the desk, stepping over the spilt objects on the floor and retrieving my jacket.

"Sorry Ian, I didn't mean to bring anything up." I turned around to see him shrug then give a crooked smile and check his fancy watch around his wrist, "…can you drop me off at my place? I mean, it's not that far from yours…and I still have school tomorrow you know."

He chuckled and draped an arm around my shoulders as he took his keys from his pocket and shut off the lights, sending the office into darkness. I slipped the silver library key from his pocket and into mine as he went off about the new theory he was testing out.


	3. Cue the guilt trip

I hate phones, sincerely I do. They're evil especially when I'm in the middle of a deep sleep and someone decides to call me so my ringtone blasts through my comfortable sleepy haze. I hate phones. As the phone on my nightstand rang I ripped my covers off and reached for it, nearly knocking down my cup of water I had set on it last night. I groaned as Ian's number flashed across the screen and flopped back in my army of pillows as I clicked the angry green answer button.

"Hello Ian."

"Want to tell me why you weren't in class today?" his voice was rough on the other line and I felt my heart stop as I slowly looked to my alarm clock like I was in some cheap horror movie. Twelve o'clock. Shit. I threw the covers off of me and ran to get some leggings and a t shirt on; I hit the speaker button as I wrestled with my hair into something more manageable and something that didn't look like a nest.

"Christ, I'm sorry Ian. I guess my alarm didn't go off or something I'll catch up on the work this weekend I promise. I'll have it to you by Sunday."

"You uh, you know you missed the entire four chapters we skimmed through. Four chapters, Angie." I pictured him shifting on the other end of the line and taking his glasses off before setting them gently on the desk. I screwed my eyes shut and cursed internally again.

"…I'm so sorry Ian. Shit. I'm up now so I'll come by the University."

"You better double time it then."

"Why?"

"Your dad came up, wanted to uh, take you to lunch but since you weren't in class…He's also got some news for you."

The line went dead and I stared at my phone as I shoved my wallet and other things into a bag…my dad so should've woken me up! I groaned and grabbed my phone before heading out of the apartment, my converse still unlaced and I hinted the smell of coffee so Alan really hadn't left that long ago. I slammed the door behind me and jumped down the stairs two at a time until I reached the garage. No car but I always had my back up dirt bike my ex had left for me as a present. I grabbed the helmet and turned up the bike. God, I hate Fridays. It roared to life and I sped out of the complex.

* * *

My converse slapped against the pavement of the University as I struggled to clip the bike helmet to my bag, I shoved through throngs of people yelling sorry until I burst into the building I wanted. Traffic was backed up, someone tried to sell me a hot dog while I was on my bike, a hippie screamed at me about Jesus and I think I caused several accidents to happen. I turned the corner and spotted Ian's door cracked open slightly. I slowed down, willing my heart to stop jumping though my ribcage and I took a deep breath, tasting salt and dry air.

"Well look who's arrived." Ian greeted sarcastically as I peeked my head through his office door, I gave a sheepish smile and closed the door behind me as he gestured to Alan who was sitting comfortably in a chair. Ian had also picked up hid desk area from last night, although I spotted a green day-glo pen under the chair.

"Hey dad."

"Hey. If I'd have known you were home and asleep I would have woken you up." He gave a small chuckle and a smile as I tossed my bag on the chair. I shrugged and Ian scoffed, "Listen; there's something you and I need to talk about."

I sat down in the chair he had been in as Ian sat down in his own; Alan leaned against the desk with an envelope, opened, in his lap. I stared between the two older men as an uncomfortable tension washed through the three of us.

"What's going on? Did something happen to mom?"

"Calm down Angela. This uh, arrived a day ago and I haven't…I just wanted to make sure you know what you want to do with your life." Alan tossed me the envelope and Ian stared me down. I looked at the white paper and flipped it over:  **Angela Grant.** Return address:  **Tim Murphy and assoc..**. I looked back up at my dad, "Tim was the kid who went with us to the Park the first time and he has a sister Lex Murphy. Hammond was their grandfather like you know but Tim inherited the tasks that Hammond wanted done before and after he died."

"Open it." Ian spoke up.

I took out the paper inside, unfolded it where it had been neatly folded before and stared. I felt a small laugh come out from my lips and a small smile formed on my face.

**Journalist needed for Jurassic Park expedition.**

"I knew you wrote too well." Alan chuckled sadly as I looked back up at the both of them…only they weren't smiling at all. Ian looked like he did when he found out what I was up to last night.

"I've only written for one big-time paper and that was on New Zealand like five months ago." I read further into the paper, they needed someone to document what the workers there were retrieving concerning the equipment and any encounters or sightings of dinosaurs. I could so do this, this was-

"Angela, you can't take this. Dreaming about the-the dinosaurs…" Ian gave me a look and I felt that rebellious bubble start to form in my body, my hands twitched and I felt my heart race. I looked to Alan.

"I…I can't let you to do this, that island has been growing for many years and the species have evolved to who knows what kind of degree. No one needs to know what's gone to an extreme on that island."

I nodded and looked down at the paper, biting my lip. _I can do this; all I have to do is email the guy back and accept it. This could be my one chance, my own dream that can come true. My dad and Ian may hate this but they…god, if I get this gig I could go to any place in the world and work in any job I want. All the stories they've told me, all the things Kelly and Sarah and Ellie mentioned and the incident in San Diego Park…I could be anyone I wanted. I could…one chance._  Alan nudged my leg and gave a questioning look as Ian stared right through me, his dark eyes searching. I gave a sigh and tossed the paper in the trash, giving a nervous laugh.

"I'll email tomorrow, tell 'em I can't go. Who wants to get eaten anyways right?" I tugged on the string to my leggings as both men gave relieved sighs and smiles. I felt the guilt building inside of me like a weed, "So…what now?"

"I have to talk to your mother, she was worried about this. I'll call you later since I leave tomorrow." Alan leaned down and gave me a kiss on the cheek before exiting with a formal wave to Ian. I watched him leave then turned back to the dark haired teacher who sighed and got up, coming closer to me.

"Listen, I-I know how mad you must be at us and that's-that's okay. Just, thank you." Ian cupped my face and leaned forward, kissing me softly. I nodded.

"No problem."

"Do you want to come over? Class is over and I uh, I could use the company." He smiled crookedly and I nodded grabbing my bag. He turned to put on his jacket and I swiped the mail from the trash and stuffed it into my bag. He opened the door with a flourish, "Shall we?"

"I'll follow."

I'm a horrible person…god I'm so…

The sun hit my face as I walked to my bike, Ian going to his car. Underneath the safety of my visor I closed my eyes. What kind of person lies to her own father and her…whatever Ian is to me. I revved the engine again and took off after Ian's car, purposefully hitting a puddle that splashed up onto my legs to cool some part of me off. I was fucked up.

* * *

The one thing I loved about Ian's place was the couch, it was green and soft and completely used from him sitting there countless nights watching the news with papers from his classes stacked on the coffee table that usually had mail from a month ago and soda cans and beer bottles. I also loved the blankets he had gotten from the various places he had gone to that were draped over the arms and the back, those were my favorite.

As of right now I was laying down on that couch, curled up in a blanket watching the last of shark week on the discovery channel as Ian slept soundly behind me, his arm that was slung over my waist was pure dead weight right now. I shifted around on the couch and turned the volume down as a gentle snore came from Ian as I faced him. He looked so peaceful when he slept; every worry line and perfectly aged wrinkle was completely smoothed out in bliss.

There were two kinds of Ian's that I loved; the ones when he would start getting into a topic he loved and went off in long lectures about it and the Ian that was asleep and didn't have a worry in the world anymore. I smiled sleepily and ran a hand through his hair, tracing down to his neck where there was a small scar, raised and slightly paler than the rest of his tanned skin. I don't know why, but I loved this scar. The way it just rested in between his collarbones like a bridge just mesmerized me. I'd do anything for him, anything he asked of me I'd probably do in a heartbeat-

_Except one thing, the one thing he's asked a million times-_

_Shut up._

I sighed and let my hand rest in the crook of his neck and shoulder, my thumb rubbing through his hair softly. I've never lied to Ian, never lied to my dad without a good reason and there was only one; not wanting them to know the truth and even then I usually told one or the other eventually what I had done. It just never felt right, lying to either of them. Especially Ian, he was always so willing to trust people and believe they knew what they were doing. But I needed to do this; this was what I've been waiting for my entire life and I was handed that chance today…or for a couple days according to Alan. Besides, they're only going in for the high-tec equipment. I won't say that nothing bad was going to happen because shit always hits the fan in these situations but…fuck I just had to take this chance. Just this once at least.

Ian's dark eyes slowly opened up and I gave a soft smile as they unclouded from sleep and cleared to reveal light and dark lines in his eyes. He gave a tired grin and I moved as he got up and stretched, his dark unbuttoned shirt softly falling over his shoulders. I sat up as well and unceremoniously plopped my body over his lap and stretched out on the couch as well, hearing my back pop. Ian chuckled and set a large warm hand down in the center of my back, rubbing small circles as he rubbed his eyes with the other.

"Nice cat nap? With how much you sleep you may as well be a cat…They're actually healthy you know, it's good to let the body rest at times."

"I'm uh, going to go ahead and ignore the part where you compared me to a cat." He smiled and I rolled up to a sitting position as he turned his attention to the TV, "Is it over?"

"Yeah, last episode I think…I recorded the entire week though." I smiled and he gave another deep throaty chuckle before leaning over to kiss me gently.

We sat there in comfortable silence, him trying to wake up and me trying to keep my mind from wandering every place in my head. The hard part of me wanting to go and having set my mind on wanting to go is the part of what the hell I'll be telling my dad and Ian about where I'll be for three days to a possible week. I looked at Ian through my peripheral and watched his intense glare at the screen about the goblin shark.

"Angela!"

I laughed as Ian fell off the couch, me rolling on top of him and getting our feet tangled in the couch as he tried to wrestle me off of him with a laugh. My leg banged into the coffee table as he pinned my hand down on the carpet but I hooked my leg around his waist and slid up until I was sitting on top of him. He was out of breath and his shirt had gone down his arms so he had basically put himself into human-shirt cuffs. I smiled as his head fell back, his chest rising and falling with breathless laughs.

"Uncle?"

"I'll tell your uncle."

"You're such a baby Ian. C'mon where's the big bad mathematician-chaos theorist?" I smiled and bent forward until our noses we're nearly touching. He made a grab at my hands and locked his own around them in a vice, holding them close to his chest as I rambled on a quote he had us write down in class a few months ago. With his free hand after a few minutes of me faking his slight accent he slammed a hand over my mouth.

"Don't you ever be quiet?" he smiled crookedly and I blinked before licking his hand, "Oh god-"

"Staying quiet is chaos Dr. Malcolm. If a person is quiet they're entire life they'd explode."

"Not true and not plausible and also uh, that's no what you call me."

"Doctor? Mister?" I smiled as Ian maneuvered us so that his back was against the couch and I was sitting between his bent legs, "Mr. PhD and a Professor?"

"…Professor?" He rolled his eyes with a throaty laugh and began running his hands up my thighs as I tried to get the rest of the stupid button up shirt off of him, "Angela."

"Nope. Shut up." I smirked as he allowed me to take the shirt off and throw it behind him on the couch, he leaned back and closed his eyes as I leaned forward and kissed under his jaw where another scar was. He had all these scars and yet he never told me where he got them from. I figured out and assumed first they were from Isla Sorna and Nublar then I asked Kelly and she had confirmed it. Then there was the scar up his leg which I had already known came from Nublar. He kept in good shape, running at night when he couldn't sleep and sometimes he'd leave class early in his last few periods to go take a jog and work off stress or whatever. Also the fact that all he does is talk all day and eat like a few pieces of food he's not underweight or over weight at all…I like brownies a little to much but I was at the weight I needed to be so…whatever.

I smiled as I mouthed at the scar on the collarbone, hearing Ian sigh and squeeze my thigh softly. I swear this man had the sexual appetite of-

Ian's eyes opened immediately as I kissed the corner of his mouth. He gave a small smirk and grabbed my chin before closing our mouths together in a hot, rough kiss. His teeth nipped at my bottom lip as I slid closer to him, feeling him roll his hips against me as he slid my shirt over my shoulders, his talented fingers tracing over my skin and dipping into the top of my bra. I shuddered against him and I felt a smile curve on his lips as his tongue brushed and twisted against mine, showing that he was in complete control of me and my body…and fuck did it feel good.

I pulled at his shoulders, tracing at the scars there as he tipped over onto the floor, me on top of him as we finally pulled away gasping, his free hand tangled in my hair as he pulled the rest of my shirt off, his fingers going to unhook the back of my bra. He rolled up again and his head smacked onto the carpet as he released a guttural moan, his hands moving over my skin to hold onto my waist in precision. I bit my lip and sat up, undoing his fly and keeping in synch with his grinding. My eyes fluttered open and were suddenly drawn to the coffee table-

"Angela, bedroom." Ian sat up, encasing me in his arms, his hair wild and glasses fogged up. I nodded but he didn't move us, just pulled me back on top of him, kissing and biting every expanse of skin he could reach as I slid his belt from his loops, hearing the fwip-fwip getting faster until the belt was tossed from my grip, " _God_ …"

My eyes were drawn back to the coffee table as Ian reached for my pants, hooking his fingers in them and slowly tugging. I sat up to help but my eyes strayed to the table yet again and I felt the sudden guilt rush through my system turning everything that was once hot, cold. On the table sat a picture frame of Ian, Sarah and Kelly when he took them to Hawaii for Christmas. I stopped as Ian drew me back in his arms, I pushed him back but he came back again as he got my pants over my hips.

"Ian…Ian stop…Ian please…"

"We're just getting s-"

"Ian!" I pushed again and he let go as if I had burned him, I slid off his lap and backed against the couch, tucking my pants up around me as I drew my knees closer to me. I pulled my hair in front of my face as I felt my heart beat go down. Ian sat watching me quietly, looking completely disshelved and confused…and worried. His hand reached out and he slid closer to me carefully like I was some wounded animal.

"Did-did I hurt you? Angela, please come on tell me. I-I please tell me I d-didn't hurt-"

"You were fine Ian." I shook my head and sighed, looking up through my hair as Ian let out a relieved sigh then back to confusion.

"Then uh, forgive me but…what's uh, wrong?"

"Sarah…I…" my eyes strayed to the picture and Ian immediately followed and sighed. He reached for it and brought it back to where he had been sitting next to me, wrapping an arm around me and holding the frame between us, "Ian I'm-"

"It's not your fault…I assume you stopped because you thought this was a, uhm…"

"Booty call most likely. I just…"`

"Approaching the chaotic edge, elements show internal conflict. An unstable and potentially lethal region." He smiled softly and tossed the photo behind us on the couch, I stared, "I talked about it last semester."

"We were getting chaotic and I showed internal worry and it can lead to…well it did lead to this." I nodded and leaned my head back against his shoulder as he chuckled deeply, rubbing a comforting circle on my bare shoulder as his fingers played with the loose bra strap, "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Chaos?"

"The breakup. Long terms suck ass."

"And you would, uh, know how? Not to be rude but every boy you've met your father has, ha, run aground and away."

"I never mentioned Billy did I?" I looked up at him and he frowned before shaking his head, "Billy Brennan was my dad's, at the time, follower who volunteered every time to go on a dig. I went one time to visit my dad when they were down in Mexico digging up an ancient city and whatnot. Dino digs still freaked my dad out so he was into the other stuff for a while but anyways. I go looking for my dad and I run into Billy who says my dad went into town for a couple days to clear up a cough but he offers my dad's tent which duh, of course I take. So while we're waiting for my dad those two days I pretty much attach myself to Billy because he was around my age and the only one who spoke clear English. By the time my dad got back we were already close and were planning to visit each other. After that dig he came and visited at moms for a week while she and Mark renewed their honeymoon or whatever and you can guess the rest."

"After a while he'd just come and crash over after the dig's and I remember my mom calming down my dad after he figured out who Billy was seeing but he threatened to kill Billy with any weapon he had if he ever broke my heart."

"Sounds like Alan."

"Yeah I know. We were steady for two years but it was kinda hard, I was in college and he was flying everywhere with my dad doing digs. I'd visit the digs for a couple days or a week but…you know, the breakup killed the both of us pretty equally. Every breakup is hard if you thought you could picture yourself with them…and I know Sarah loved you, both you  _and_  Kelly a lot."

Ian stared at the floor when I looked up at him, his eyes glossy and focused like when he was taking in new information from another teacher and processing it. He looked over at me and brushed a piece of hair from my eyes.

"And uh…how is Billy Brennan now?"

"Good, still going on digs, still loves it especially since my dad made him an official assistant of his."

"Do you uh…?"

"See him? Yeah, when I decide to go where my dad's at every once in a while. Just to say hi and hang out though, it killed us but we still wanted to be friends, we didn't want to throw out the connection we had. Plus I have to make sure Alan doesn't leave him in the desert…"

Ian laughed and drew me in closer, smiling as he leaned his head back.

"Thank you."

"Welcome…Still, I'm sorry."

"I-it's fine, I understand." He looked back down at me, "You know for a kid you think you've lived a lot."

"So I'm told." I kissed his cheek, "Just…if you don't apologize or do something Sarah won't even be an acquaintance anymore. Look at my mom and Alan; she forced him into her life still."

"Yeah, but with a baby."

"Shut up, you know you love Joshua." I punched his arm softly, "Call Sarah sometime to check up. Girls like that stuff and you won't be on her shit list."

" _Shit_  list?"

"Every female has one." I laughed as he grew puzzled, his forehead creasing as I rolled away from him and onto my back. He shook his head as I kicked at his thigh, "Sometimes you're too adorable… _Professor_."

"Okay now you're done." He crawled over to me and dropped his body on mine as our lips met again in a flash.

Outside the evening sky grew a tad bit lighter.

* * *

The blankets around me felt like I was in vice from an anaconda. I couldn't seem to breathe and sweat seemed to pour from my body. Behind me slept Ian, his arm slung around me softly, his fingertips gracing the bed beneath us as his breath softly blew through my hair. His chest rose and fell against my back, his bare skin hot and soft to the touch. I had managed to untangle my legs from his five minutes ago but this was going to be the harder part. He was a heavy sleeper but if anything close to him moved he'd be awake instantly. I had been awake for an hour and a half, heart beating furiously as I eyed the laptop sitting in the corner of the room. I had turned it on when I climbed into his bed around nine…it was twelve right now.

I took a deep breath and began to inch my way away. First my shoulder slipped under his arm until it was resting against my neck. I stilled as Ian sighed but otherwise did nothing. I maneuvered my legs from the burning hell of the comforter and the sheet until the hung halfway off the bed. Now it was just up to my upper body and dumbass head to move off of the bed. Closing my eyes I took a breath and began to turn over on my stomach so if he woke up he'd think I was only moving in my sleep. I opened my eyes as his arm shifted up…I pulled back and grabbed my pillow where my body had been as his arm came down and rested on the pillow. I sat next to his body and watched as he settled back into his sleep.

I slid off the bed and rushed to the computer, flipping it on and typing in my password to my email, heart beating like I was breaking into the safe of a bank. The glare of the screen shone in my face and made me squint as I scrolled through my emails and dug the letter from my bag on the floor for an address.

**Team needed for Jurassic Park Expedition.**

I hit reply.

**Re: This is Angela Grant, I'm in for the team. How, where and when do you want me?**

I clicked send and turned back to the sleeping form on the large black and blood red bed. Ian's dark hair was tousled and his skin shone even in the dark. He'd hate me for this; we'd probably break up if he found out about what I'm doing. I blinked as new mail suddenly flashed across the screen.

**Re: Re: Ms. Grant, glad to have you officially aboard. My name is Tim Murphy and I'll be the one giving you the paycheck and items needed for the expedition. I'll be sending everything and all the directions you will need in the next email. If I fail to see you before you are off, good luck and be careful on the island.**

**Re: Re: Re: Thank you so much for the chance! Good luck I guess back at you in whatever you do. Hopefully I'll be back in one piece.**

I clicked send and hit to the next message that had all the supplies and others I'd be meeting next week for the plane ride out. They were still waiting for a paleontologist and my mind briefly thought of my dad before I shook it off and started writing everything down on paper since the printer would no doubt wake Ian up.

I slid back into the big bed with Ian after I had stuffed everything away and exited out of the computer. His eyes fluttered open as I wrapped my arms around his cool waist; I felt him sigh in fatigue before he rolled onto his back and pulled me close to his side. I closed my eyes and felt butterflies rise in my stomach.


	4. Calm before the storm

I hate phones, sincerely I do. They're evil especially when I'm in the middle of a deep sleep and someone decides to call me so my ringtone blasts through my comfortable sleepy haze. I hate phones. As the phone on my nightstand rang I ripped my covers off and reached for it, nearly knocking down my cup of water I had set on it last night. I groaned as Ian's number flashed across the screen and flopped back in my army of pillows as I clicked the angry green answer button.

"Hello Ian."

"Want to tell me why you weren't in class today?" his voice was rough on the other line and I felt my heart stop as I slowly looked to my alarm clock like I was in some cheap horror movie. Twelve o'clock. Shit. I threw the covers off of me and ran to get some leggings and a t shirt on; I hit the speaker button as I wrestled with my hair into something more manageable and something that didn't look like a nest.

"Christ, I'm sorry Ian. I guess my alarm didn't go off or something I'll catch up on the work this weekend I promise. I'll have it to you by Sunday."

"You uh, you know you missed the entire four chapters we skimmed through. Four chapters, Angie." I pictured him shifting on the other end of the line and taking his glasses off before setting them gently on the desk. I screwed my eyes shut and cursed internally again.

"…I'm so sorry Ian. Shit. I'm up now so I'll come by the University."

"You better double time it then."

"Why?"

"Your dad came up, wanted to uh, take you to lunch but since you weren't in class…He's also got some news for you."

The line went dead and I stared at my phone as I shoved my wallet and other things into a bag…my dad so should've woken me up! I groaned and grabbed my phone before heading out of the apartment, my converse still unlaced and I hinted the smell of coffee so Alan really hadn't left that long ago. I slammed the door behind me and jumped down the stairs two at a time until I reached the garage. No car but I always had my back up dirt bike my ex had left for me as a present. I grabbed the helmet and turned up the bike. God, I hate Fridays. It roared to life and I sped out of the complex.

* * *

My converse slapped against the pavement of the University as I struggled to clip the bike helmet to my bag, I shoved through throngs of people yelling sorry until I burst into the building I wanted. Traffic was backed up, someone tried to sell me a hot dog while I was on my bike, a hippie screamed at me about Jesus and I think I caused several accidents to happen. I turned the corner and spotted Ian's door cracked open slightly. I slowed down, willing my heart to stop jumping though my ribcage and I took a deep breath, tasting salt and dry air.

"Well look who's arrived." Ian greeted sarcastically as I peeked my head through his office door, I gave a sheepish smile and closed the door behind me as he gestured to Alan who was sitting comfortably in a chair. Ian had also picked up hid desk area from last night, although I spotted a green day-glo pen under the chair.

"Hey dad."

"Hey. If I'd have known you were home and asleep I would have woken you up." He gave a small chuckle and a smile as I tossed my bag on the chair. I shrugged and Ian scoffed, "Listen; there's something you and I need to talk about."

I sat down in the chair he had been in as Ian sat down in his own; Alan leaned against the desk with an envelope, opened, in his lap. I stared between the two older men as an uncomfortable tension washed through the three of us.

"What's going on? Did something happen to mom?"

"Calm down Angela. This uh, arrived a day ago and I haven't…I just wanted to make sure you know what you want to do with your life." Alan tossed me the envelope and Ian stared me down. I looked at the white paper and flipped it over:  **Angela Grant.** Return address:  **Tim Murphy and assoc..**. I looked back up at my dad, "Tim was the kid who went with us to the Park the first time and he has a sister Lex Murphy. Hammond was their grandfather like you know but Tim inherited the tasks that Hammond wanted done before and after he died."

"Open it." Ian spoke up.

I took out the paper inside, unfolded it where it had been neatly folded before and stared. I felt a small laugh come out from my lips and a small smile formed on my face.

**Journalist needed for Jurassic Park expedition.**

"I knew you wrote too well." Alan chuckled sadly as I looked back up at the both of them…only they weren't smiling at all. Ian looked like he did when he found out what I was up to last night.

"I've only written for one big-time paper and that was on New Zealand like five months ago." I read further into the paper, they needed someone to document what the workers there were retrieving concerning the equipment and any encounters or sightings of dinosaurs. I could so do this, this was-

"Angela, you can't take this. Dreaming about the-the dinosaurs…" Ian gave me a look and I felt that rebellious bubble start to form in my body, my hands twitched and I felt my heart race. I looked to Alan.

"I…I can't let you to do this, that island has been growing for many years and the species have evolved to who knows what kind of degree. No one needs to know what's gone to an extreme on that island."

I nodded and looked down at the paper, biting my lip. _I can do this; all I have to do is email the guy back and accept it. This could be my one chance, my own dream that can come true. My dad and Ian may hate this but they…god, if I get this gig I could go to any place in the world and work in any job I want. All the stories they've told me, all the things Kelly and Sarah and Ellie mentioned and the incident in San Diego Park…I could be anyone I wanted. I could…one chance._  Alan nudged my leg and gave a questioning look as Ian stared right through me, his dark eyes searching. I gave a sigh and tossed the paper in the trash, giving a nervous laugh.

"I'll email tomorrow, tell 'em I can't go. Who wants to get eaten anyways right?" I tugged on the string to my leggings as both men gave relieved sighs and smiles. I felt the guilt building inside of me like a weed, "So…what now?"

"I have to talk to your mother, she was worried about this. I'll call you later since I leave tomorrow." Alan leaned down and gave me a kiss on the cheek before exiting with a formal wave to Ian. I watched him leave then turned back to the dark haired teacher who sighed and got up, coming closer to me.

"Listen, I-I know how mad you must be at us and that's-that's okay. Just, thank you." Ian cupped my face and leaned forward, kissing me softly. I nodded.

"No problem."

"Do you want to come over? Class is over and I uh, I could use the company." He smiled crookedly and I nodded grabbing my bag. He turned to put on his jacket and I swiped the mail from the trash and stuffed it into my bag. He opened the door with a flourish, "Shall we?"

"I'll follow."

I'm a horrible person…god I'm so…

The sun hit my face as I walked to my bike, Ian going to his car. Underneath the safety of my visor I closed my eyes. What kind of person lies to her own father and her…whatever Ian is to me. I revved the engine again and took off after Ian's car, purposefully hitting a puddle that splashed up onto my legs to cool some part of me off. I was fucked up.

* * *

The one thing I loved about Ian's place was the couch, it was green and soft and completely used from him sitting there countless nights watching the news with papers from his classes stacked on the coffee table that usually had mail from a month ago and soda cans and beer bottles. I also loved the blankets he had gotten from the various places he had gone to that were draped over the arms and the back, those were my favorite.

As of right now I was laying down on that couch, curled up in a blanket watching the last of shark week on the discovery channel as Ian slept soundly behind me, his arm that was slung over my waist was pure dead weight right now. I shifted around on the couch and turned the volume down as a gentle snore came from Ian as I faced him. He looked so peaceful when he slept; every worry line and perfectly aged wrinkle was completely smoothed out in bliss.

There were two kinds of Ian's that I loved; the ones when he would start getting into a topic he loved and went off in long lectures about it and the Ian that was asleep and didn't have a worry in the world anymore. I smiled sleepily and ran a hand through his hair, tracing down to his neck where there was a small scar, raised and slightly paler than the rest of his tanned skin. I don't know why, but I loved this scar. The way it just rested in between his collarbones like a bridge just mesmerized me. I'd do anything for him, anything he asked of me I'd probably do in a heartbeat-

_Except one thing, the one thing he's asked a million times-_

_Shut up._

I sighed and let my hand rest in the crook of his neck and shoulder, my thumb rubbing through his hair softly. I've never lied to Ian, never lied to my dad without a good reason and there was only one; not wanting them to know the truth and even then I usually told one or the other eventually what I had done. It just never felt right, lying to either of them. Especially Ian, he was always so willing to trust people and believe they knew what they were doing. But I needed to do this; this was what I've been waiting for my entire life and I was handed that chance today…or for a couple days according to Alan. Besides, they're only going in for the high-tec equipment. I won't say that nothing bad was going to happen because shit always hits the fan in these situations but…fuck I just had to take this chance. Just this once at least.

Ian's dark eyes slowly opened up and I gave a soft smile as they unclouded from sleep and cleared to reveal light and dark lines in his eyes. He gave a tired grin and I moved as he got up and stretched, his dark unbuttoned shirt softly falling over his shoulders. I sat up as well and unceremoniously plopped my body over his lap and stretched out on the couch as well, hearing my back pop. Ian chuckled and set a large warm hand down in the center of my back, rubbing small circles as he rubbed his eyes with the other.

"Nice cat nap? With how much you sleep you may as well be a cat…They're actually healthy you know, it's good to let the body rest at times."

"I'm uh, going to go ahead and ignore the part where you compared me to a cat." He smiled and I rolled up to a sitting position as he turned his attention to the TV, "Is it over?"

"Yeah, last episode I think…I recorded the entire week though." I smiled and he gave another deep throaty chuckle before leaning over to kiss me gently.

We sat there in comfortable silence, him trying to wake up and me trying to keep my mind from wandering every place in my head. The hard part of me wanting to go and having set my mind on wanting to go is the part of what the hell I'll be telling my dad and Ian about where I'll be for three days to a possible week. I looked at Ian through my peripheral and watched his intense glare at the screen about the goblin shark.

"Angela!"

I laughed as Ian fell off the couch, me rolling on top of him and getting our feet tangled in the couch as he tried to wrestle me off of him with a laugh. My leg banged into the coffee table as he pinned my hand down on the carpet but I hooked my leg around his waist and slid up until I was sitting on top of him. He was out of breath and his shirt had gone down his arms so he had basically put himself into human-shirt cuffs. I smiled as his head fell back, his chest rising and falling with breathless laughs.

"Uncle?"

"I'll tell your uncle."

"You're such a baby Ian. C'mon where's the big bad mathematician-chaos theorist?" I smiled and bent forward until our noses we're nearly touching. He made a grab at my hands and locked his own around them in a vice, holding them close to his chest as I rambled on a quote he had us write down in class a few months ago. With his free hand after a few minutes of me faking his slight accent he slammed a hand over my mouth.

"Don't you ever be quiet?" he smiled crookedly and I blinked before licking his hand, "Oh god-"

"Staying quiet is chaos Dr. Malcolm. If a person is quiet they're entire life they'd explode."

"Not true and not plausible and also uh, that's no what you call me."

"Doctor? Mister?" I smiled as Ian maneuvered us so that his back was against the couch and I was sitting between his bent legs, "Mr. PhD and a Professor?"

"…Professor?" He rolled his eyes with a throaty laugh and began running his hands up my thighs as I tried to get the rest of the stupid button up shirt off of him, "Angela."

"Nope. Shut up." I smirked as he allowed me to take the shirt off and throw it behind him on the couch, he leaned back and closed his eyes as I leaned forward and kissed under his jaw where another scar was. He had all these scars and yet he never told me where he got them from. I figured out and assumed first they were from Isla Sorna and Nublar then I asked Kelly and she had confirmed it. Then there was the scar up his leg which I had already known came from Nublar. He kept in good shape, running at night when he couldn't sleep and sometimes he'd leave class early in his last few periods to go take a jog and work off stress or whatever. Also the fact that all he does is talk all day and eat like a few pieces of food he's not underweight or over weight at all…I like brownies a little to much but I was at the weight I needed to be so…whatever.

I smiled as I mouthed at the scar on the collarbone, hearing Ian sigh and squeeze my thigh softly. I swear this man had the sexual appetite of-

Ian's eyes opened immediately as I kissed the corner of his mouth. He gave a small smirk and grabbed my chin before closing our mouths together in a hot, rough kiss. His teeth nipped at my bottom lip as I slid closer to him, feeling him roll his hips against me as he slid my shirt over my shoulders, his talented fingers tracing over my skin and dipping into the top of my bra. I shuddered against him and I felt a smile curve on his lips as his tongue brushed and twisted against mine, showing that he was in complete control of me and my body…and fuck did it feel good.

I pulled at his shoulders, tracing at the scars there as he tipped over onto the floor, me on top of him as we finally pulled away gasping, his free hand tangled in my hair as he pulled the rest of my shirt off, his fingers going to unhook the back of my bra. He rolled up again and his head smacked onto the carpet as he released a guttural moan, his hands moving over my skin to hold onto my waist in precision. I bit my lip and sat up, undoing his fly and keeping in synch with his grinding. My eyes fluttered open and were suddenly drawn to the coffee table-

"Angela, bedroom." Ian sat up, encasing me in his arms, his hair wild and glasses fogged up. I nodded but he didn't move us, just pulled me back on top of him, kissing and biting every expanse of skin he could reach as I slid his belt from his loops, hearing the fwip-fwip getting faster until the belt was tossed from my grip, " _God_ …"

My eyes were drawn back to the coffee table as Ian reached for my pants, hooking his fingers in them and slowly tugging. I sat up to help but my eyes strayed to the table yet again and I felt the sudden guilt rush through my system turning everything that was once hot, cold. On the table sat a picture frame of Ian, Sarah and Kelly when he took them to Hawaii for Christmas. I stopped as Ian drew me back in his arms, I pushed him back but he came back again as he got my pants over my hips.

"Ian…Ian stop…Ian please…"

"We're just getting s-"

"Ian!" I pushed again and he let go as if I had burned him, I slid off his lap and backed against the couch, tucking my pants up around me as I drew my knees closer to me. I pulled my hair in front of my face as I felt my heart beat go down. Ian sat watching me quietly, looking completely disshelved and confused…and worried. His hand reached out and he slid closer to me carefully like I was some wounded animal.

"Did-did I hurt you? Angela, please come on tell me. I-I please tell me I d-didn't hurt-"

"You were fine Ian." I shook my head and sighed, looking up through my hair as Ian let out a relieved sigh then back to confusion.

"Then uh, forgive me but…what's uh, wrong?"

"Sarah…I…" my eyes strayed to the picture and Ian immediately followed and sighed. He reached for it and brought it back to where he had been sitting next to me, wrapping an arm around me and holding the frame between us, "Ian I'm-"

"It's not your fault…I assume you stopped because you thought this was a, uhm…"

"Booty call most likely. I just…"`

"Approaching the chaotic edge, elements show internal conflict. An unstable and potentially lethal region." He smiled softly and tossed the photo behind us on the couch, I stared, "I talked about it last semester."

"We were getting chaotic and I showed internal worry and it can lead to…well it did lead to this." I nodded and leaned my head back against his shoulder as he chuckled deeply, rubbing a comforting circle on my bare shoulder as his fingers played with the loose bra strap, "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Chaos?"

"The breakup. Long terms suck ass."

"And you would, uh, know how? Not to be rude but every boy you've met your father has, ha, run aground and away."

"I never mentioned Billy did I?" I looked up at him and he frowned before shaking his head, "Billy Brennan was my dad's, at the time, follower who volunteered every time to go on a dig. I went one time to visit my dad when they were down in Mexico digging up an ancient city and whatnot. Dino digs still freaked my dad out so he was into the other stuff for a while but anyways. I go looking for my dad and I run into Billy who says my dad went into town for a couple days to clear up a cough but he offers my dad's tent which duh, of course I take. So while we're waiting for my dad those two days I pretty much attach myself to Billy because he was around my age and the only one who spoke clear English. By the time my dad got back we were already close and were planning to visit each other. After that dig he came and visited at moms for a week while she and Mark renewed their honeymoon or whatever and you can guess the rest."

"After a while he'd just come and crash over after the dig's and I remember my mom calming down my dad after he figured out who Billy was seeing but he threatened to kill Billy with any weapon he had if he ever broke my heart."

"Sounds like Alan."

"Yeah I know. We were steady for two years but it was kinda hard, I was in college and he was flying everywhere with my dad doing digs. I'd visit the digs for a couple days or a week but…you know, the breakup killed the both of us pretty equally. Every breakup is hard if you thought you could picture yourself with them…and I know Sarah loved you, both you  _and_  Kelly a lot."

Ian stared at the floor when I looked up at him, his eyes glossy and focused like when he was taking in new information from another teacher and processing it. He looked over at me and brushed a piece of hair from my eyes.

"And uh…how is Billy Brennan now?"

"Good, still going on digs, still loves it especially since my dad made him an official assistant of his."

"Do you uh…?"

"See him? Yeah, when I decide to go where my dad's at every once in a while. Just to say hi and hang out though, it killed us but we still wanted to be friends, we didn't want to throw out the connection we had. Plus I have to make sure Alan doesn't leave him in the desert…"

Ian laughed and drew me in closer, smiling as he leaned his head back.

"Thank you."

"Welcome…Still, I'm sorry."

"I-it's fine, I understand." He looked back down at me, "You know for a kid you think you've lived a lot."

"So I'm told." I kissed his cheek, "Just…if you don't apologize or do something Sarah won't even be an acquaintance anymore. Look at my mom and Alan; she forced him into her life still."

"Yeah, but with a baby."

"Shut up, you know you love Joshua." I punched his arm softly, "Call Sarah sometime to check up. Girls like that stuff and you won't be on her shit list."

" _Shit_  list?"

"Every female has one." I laughed as he grew puzzled, his forehead creasing as I rolled away from him and onto my back. He shook his head as I kicked at his thigh, "Sometimes you're too adorable… _Professor_."

"Okay now you're done." He crawled over to me and dropped his body on mine as our lips met again in a flash.

Outside the evening sky grew a tad bit lighter.

* * *

The blankets around me felt like I was in vice from an anaconda. I couldn't seem to breathe and sweat seemed to pour from my body. Behind me slept Ian, his arm slung around me softly, his fingertips gracing the bed beneath us as his breath softly blew through my hair. His chest rose and fell against my back, his bare skin hot and soft to the touch. I had managed to untangle my legs from his five minutes ago but this was going to be the harder part. He was a heavy sleeper but if anything close to him moved he'd be awake instantly. I had been awake for an hour and a half, heart beating furiously as I eyed the laptop sitting in the corner of the room. I had turned it on when I climbed into his bed around nine…it was twelve right now.

I took a deep breath and began to inch my way away. First my shoulder slipped under his arm until it was resting against my neck. I stilled as Ian sighed but otherwise did nothing. I maneuvered my legs from the burning hell of the comforter and the sheet until the hung halfway off the bed. Now it was just up to my upper body and dumbass head to move off of the bed. Closing my eyes I took a breath and began to turn over on my stomach so if he woke up he'd think I was only moving in my sleep. I opened my eyes as his arm shifted up…I pulled back and grabbed my pillow where my body had been as his arm came down and rested on the pillow. I sat next to his body and watched as he settled back into his sleep.

I slid off the bed and rushed to the computer, flipping it on and typing in my password to my email, heart beating like I was breaking into the safe of a bank. The glare of the screen shone in my face and made me squint as I scrolled through my emails and dug the letter from my bag on the floor for an address.

**Team needed for Jurassic Park Expedition.**

I hit reply.

**Re: This is Angela Grant, I'm in for the team. How, where and when do you want me?**

I clicked send and turned back to the sleeping form on the large black and blood red bed. Ian's dark hair was tousled and his skin shone even in the dark. He'd hate me for this; we'd probably break up if he found out about what I'm doing. I blinked as new mail suddenly flashed across the screen.

**Re: Re: Ms. Grant, glad to have you officially aboard. My name is Tim Murphy and I'll be the one giving you the paycheck and items needed for the expedition. I'll be sending everything and all the directions you will need in the next email. If I fail to see you before you are off, good luck and be careful on the island.**

**Re: Re: Re: Thank you so much for the chance! Good luck I guess back at you in whatever you do. Hopefully I'll be back in one piece.**

I clicked send and hit to the next message that had all the supplies and others I'd be meeting next week for the plane ride out. They were still waiting for a paleontologist and my mind briefly thought of my dad before I shook it off and started writing everything down on paper since the printer would no doubt wake Ian up.

I slid back into the big bed with Ian after I had stuffed everything away and exited out of the computer. His eyes fluttered open as I wrapped my arms around his cool waist; I felt him sigh in fatigue before he rolled onto his back and pulled me close to his side. I closed my eyes and felt butterflies rise in my stomach.


	5. Chapter 5

Seven thirty in the morning and we were about five hours away from Florida, having stopped six hours earlier to fill up on gas; otherwise than that we were still on a straight flight. Billy was asleep next to me, head resting against the window as music blasted out his headphones. I had been awake for a couple minutes, listening to the gentle snores of everyone around me and the clicks of the keys from Clark and Kent. I leaned back against my seat, my short hair falling in my face as I closed my eyes and tried to ignore the chills that swept through my body. I only had one jacket…I should've packed better instead of shorts and loose cargo pants and leggings.

I shifted in my seat and undid my seat belt to get more comfortable when I heard a soft whine fall behind me. I stopped moving, frozen in a half upright position I stared straight ahead. There it was, a soft pained whine like someone was having a bad dream. I looked around; Linda and Hugh were fast asleep; peacefully. In front of me Jose was completely out but otherwise unmoving.

"Shit!" I hissed as something came up and whacked the back of my chair, digging a stray pencil into my back somehow. I turned around and peeked through the parting in the seats to find Muldoon breathing heavier and heavier by the second as his tan hat slid farther over his face. I got up in my seat, kneeling in the soft cushions and peered over. Sweat drenched the front of his shirt and his hand flashed out, catching the seat again…oh, it was him.

I slid out of my seat as Muldoon lashed out again, a pained noise falling from his lips hidden under his hat. I slid into the seat next to him and reached forward, taking off his hat softly…oh my god…

His lightly tanned skin in the left side of his face had three long, deep gashes in it from either a claw or a machine. They went over his eye all the way to his neck where they disappeared beneath his collar and probably kept going. There was another long scar on his other side, slicing into his head and vanishing into his hairline. Now I know why he wore everything to the point it looked insecure. I set the hat down next to me as Muldoon's face contorted into one of pain; I reached out and grabbed his shoulder.

"Robert….Robert Muldoon…hey!" I whispered, shaking his shoulder again.

Muldoon's crystal clear blue eyes flashed wide open, startling me for a second as his hand latched onto my arm as he stared at me in a daze. I gave a small smile as confusion slowly crept from his face to be replaced with dawning clarity. He looked around him then back to me before he shook his head and sat up in his chair, releasing my arm. I handed his hat back and gave a weak smile, my face felt hot.

"Sorry, I-I didn't mean to wake you. You just, you were-were all like…you looked like you were having a nightmare. Sorry again." I bit my lip and watched as he stared down at the hat in his lap before looking up and giving a tightlipped grin, the kind you use when another person steps into an elevator with you.

"'S all right." He rubbed a hand over his face and ran a finger over the three scars on his face, "No harm done then."

"…So…who're you supposed to be?" I situated in my new seat and faced him, trying to feel confident as he raised a questioning eyebrow and turning so he was slightly facing me, the scarred part of his face only barely visible, "Well we're the only ones awake and I'm gonna guess you have no interest in sleeping again."

"…Fair enough. Robert Muldoon, past game warden of Jurassic Park." He held out a hand and I shook it, trying not to stare at a silver scar on the top of his hand.

"Angela Grant. You from Australia? Or just oddly accented?"

"More or less, got around a bit as a kid." He chuckled softly and crossed his legs in front of him. I saw Billy shift in his seat and stretch out into the new open space next to him, "You with the other kid?"

"Who, Billy? Yeah."

"Grant you said? No relation to the paleontologist Alan Grant I presume?"

"That's where you're wrong, Alan's my dad." I gave a disbelieved stare, "Dude, who else knows my dad?"

"Well, after Jurassic closed down the first time your father made an appearance on TV across the world, everyone ridiculed him and the other two scientists, well, the other  _one_  scientist that stood by him." He rubbed at the light stubble on his chin and gave me a once over, "But you don't look like him."

"My mother's past marriage…the other two wouldn't happen to be Ellie Sattler and an Ian Malcolm would they?"

"…I'll be damned then." He gave a quiet laugh and everything began to click into place, ever so slowly in my head. Ian used to talk about a game warden in the Park that helped breed raptors but had gotten attacked…and Tim had said Muldoon knew the park…

"Holy shit, you're  _Robert Muldoon_! You saved my mom's ass getting out of the Park!" I hit his shoulder on instinct and he flinched before giving me an odd look, "Sorry…college thing. My mom and dad used to talk about you, my little bro called you the raptor man."

"Really? Didn't realize I was that much of a celebrity."

"Any guy who was with my dad and Ian over at the Park is pretty much infused in our brains." I laughed and settled back into the seat as Muldoon gave a smile.

"You know that man then? I remember he uh, showed up in clothes like he was recording an album. Hammond hated him."

"So why invite him?"

"The lawyer did."

"The one that got eaten? Awesome, it's always nice to know Ian associated with potentially dead people…which brings up the question. Ellie said you were attacked."

Muldoon shifted in his seat, his white button up tightening across his muscles as his shoulders tensed. I felt emotion wash through me, I had seen that look on my dad's face when I first brought up JurassicPark and wanted to learn more about it. I looked away.

"Sorry, forget I said anything." I waved a hand and scratched my nose as Muldoon gave a brief nod and stared out the window, hands folded over his hat in his lap.

"Angie?"

"Hey Billy." I smiled as the blonde woke up, looking around confused as he stretched into my vacated seat, I gave Muldoon a smile before hopping back over to my seat where Billy happily smiled at me. I buckled back in as he stuffed his headphones away, he looked over his shoulder to where Muldoon was still staring out the window before leaning in close to me.

"You actually got him to talk to you? I spent five minutes on that guy and nothin'."

"Well if you ever want him to shut up just ask him how he got his scars." I whispered back, flinging my legs over his lap and getting comfortable. Billy smirked and leaned his head closer to mine on the seat, "…What are you thinking about and why do I believe it's about me?"

"…you're just so beautiful." He gave a soft smile and his fingers came up and traced over my cheek, I blushed and pulled his hand away.

"Billy…"

"I know. How much farther until we touch down?" he shifted back and stretched his arms behind his head and shut his eyes.

"Four and a half I think." I checked his watch and sighed, "Four and forty five never mind."

"…Wanna play tic tac toe?" he bent down and grabbed my notebook and two pens, I rolled my eyes as a childish emotion completely swamped me, "I'm O's you'll be the X."

We checked into the hotel next to the dock in the swamps of Miami early in the morning, jet lag consumed most of us and we all collapsed in our shared rooms, vaguely turning on alarms for six. I remembered curling next to Billy and watching as Muldoon tipped his hat over his face again while resting on the couch…his sleeves rolled up to his elbows.

* * *

The roar of an alarm jolted me from my sleep and the curse of the morning sun coming in through the curtains made me duck back under the arm I had been currently resting against. I groaned as a gentle laugh sounded through the hotel room accompanied by the smell of fresh bagels and some fruit.

"Time to get up, haven't got all day now." A hand gently shook my shoulder and I blindly swatted behind me, coming in contact with tough skin, "Maybe we'll just leave you. Billy, up boy!"

Billy moved next to me, sitting up warily as Muldoon opened the blinds more until I was forced to sit up against the blonde, I glared. Billy yawned and fell back against the bed with a soft thump as Linda came over to us, holding a plate of tempting food

"Thank you." I smiled and sat up straighter, brushing my hair away from my face and looking around. Jose, Linda and Hugh along with Muldoon were the only ones in here. Linda sat down next to me, dressed in jeans and scrubs again as her hair was pulled into a tight bun, makeup perfectly in check. Billy sat up again, rubbing his eyes as he stole the cantaloupe from my plate and traded it for the watermelon on his, he gave a cheeky grin when I lightly pinched his hand, "So…how long will this flight last us? Because I am not a fan of jet lag twice in a row."

"Should just be a couple hours, they've got the top helicopter pilots flying us there." Linda took a bite of an apple as Hugh brought in coffee and water, "I'm more worried of who will be flying us out of there to be honest."

"Well at least when we get there all we'll have to worry about is ourselves." Billy spoke up, nearly burning his tongue on the coffee. I laughed and Muldoon chuckled, "Like this. This is what I'll have to worry about."

"You're so weird Billy." I smiled and leaned into his side, bumping my head against his. He smiled and blushed before taking another sip. Linda smiled and I noticed her trade a look with Hugh.

"You two are lovely together, I wish I had the connection you had with my husband." She smiled and I noticed Muldoon raise an eyebrow, "Oh, to be young again."

"We're…we're not actually together." Billy spoke up.

"Yeah, I mean we dated but that was a long time ago."

"We're good friends…" he finished but Linda, Hugh, Jose and Robert just stared in disbelief, I nudged his side.

"…Man, you guys are totally going to be gossip queens." I eyed each of them, Linda laughed.

"Dated in the past or not you two are cute." She got up and exited into the bathroom, Robert chuckled to himself as he took a sip of the black coffee and I noticed a few of his buttons were undone exposing some tanned scarred flesh.

I shifted in my spot, munching on a bagel as I pulled at my shorts which were rubbing the wrong way against my leggings. She was right though, Billy and I had been good together. Good, but so many problems were passed between us. It wasn't like I wanted him to quit doing digs, I hated when girls forced their guys out of their jobs just to be with them but it was a small factor to the problems in our relationship. Not like I was any better though, always focusing on school and going out to tutoring even when I didn't need it and going to parties on the weekends which wasn't all that bad but Billy knew me better than anyone when I had a few shots of vodka. I felt a hand brush against my back and I turned, Billy's light hazel eyes finding mine instantly as he gave a gentle smile before turning his attention back to Hugh's conversation with Jose about dinosaurs and the plants they ate.

My fingers cracked as I reached for my cup of water and I felt my body shudder from a chill and sweat start to form on my neck from the Miami heat coming in through the windows. The water slid down my throat like crystal clear relief, I closed my eyes for a moment and let it sink into my body, feeling the rush flow through my veins and pass through like clear, clean oil under my skin. I rolled my neck and heard the pops there and when I straightened up again a thousand pops sounded through my bones. I sagged forward in relaxation, a small smile on my face.

"You're going to get arthritis doing that all your life." Muldoon spoke up as he came over to us, taking a seat on the bed next to us, "Or break your back."

"I'm in my twenties, I think I'll be fine for a few good decades." I responded as Billy scooted off the bed to vacate the bathroom as Linda stepped out, "Even if I do, I'll take up yoga."

"'S not bad, good for your core." He contemplated and I set down my water, giving him a look.

"…you used to do yoga?"

"Back in my younger days when I wrestled alligators in the swamps." He faked an Australian accent and gave a subtle wink, I laughed, "I'm serious though. It could ruin you."

"I'll keep that in mind." I winked back as Linda took Billy's spot next to me, carefully moving the trash with her manicured nails aside.

"Well Robert, I think this is the most I've heard you talk since yesterday." She gave him a once over and I covered my hand with my mouth as she checked him out, "Maybe you can tell us all about those scars some day."

"Someday." He nodded and turned his attention to me; Linda made a face and seemed to shrug to herself before getting up and grabbing her bag from the corner of the room. I smiled to myself and Robert seemed to roll his eyes.

"Maybe you should entertain us with another story. What'd you do at the Park? When it first opened?" I crossed my legs and faced him as Billy dived for the bed again, his baggy cargo pants making a whooshing sound. Muldoon coughed into his hand before getting comfortable leaning against the headboard.

"I was the game warden, I watched over the animals mainly the raptors. They're tricky animals, raptors are. When we first made the raptor pen we made it for the height because of their powerful muscles in their legs to jump. We put a couple girls in and they attacked the pens, searching for a weak spot but we noticed that they never attacked the same thing twice or the same way. I studied them; made sure they were well kept and well secluded in their own pen."

"What kind of pens were they in? Obviously not wood so what did you guys have to put up to keep them at bay? Dino skin is rougher than a-a reptiles and reptile skin is pretty tough." Billy leaned on one hand, eyes fixed on Muldoon.

"We put them in concrete barriers with five foot high electrical wires. Most were about fourteen to forty feet high. But there's the strange thing about velociraptors, ever since the first dinosaur was dug up people assumed they were reptiles but science, like the one your father has contributed too greatly, has led us to believe that they're actually part of the bird family more so than the reptile family."

"So giant turkey-vultures ruled the world a billion years ago…" Billy joked, Muldoon shrugged, "That's actually kind of scary all on its own."

"My dad said the raptors are more like birds than any other dinosaur. I mean, I don't know much about birds but a brachiosaurus really doesn't look like any other bird I've seen."

"It's all in the DNA which Hammond had first set out to find. Instead he got dino DNA from bugs and insects that fed on them." Hugh interjected from his place on the couch next to Linda, "Scientists are still trying to replicate dinos in labs now but instead they're pulling the DNA from birds and interjecting it with others. Some genetically engineered birds have even evolved scaly tails and teeth representing dinosaurs."

"That's amazing." I stared at Hugh and felt my eyebrows furrow together, "That's…what do we even need JurassicPark for, we've got scaly birds."

Everyone laughed for a few minutes and the conversation began to falter as the time was nearing the end of our stay in the hotel. At five forty we gathered our bags together and I slipped into another pair of shirts and leggings along with a looser button up shirt which I tied in front of me. Travelling clothes always had to be comfy.

I stuffed everything back into my bag along with the bin that held my toothbrush before zipping it up and going to work on my second bag, I smiled as I pulled out my notebook. Billy and I had gone through at least ten pages of some extreme tic-tac-toe and hang-man. I moved everything that didn't pertain to my writing and photography into Billy's bag and put all of his things that pertained to his 'paleontology report' into mine as well…which was basically a pencil. I shouldered my camera bag with my things as Billy took my other one along with his as everyone filed out for the hotel room. I hooked my dad's radio phone onto my belt and closed the door behind me.

We walked through the hall to the elevator quietly as the rest of the guards and movers emerged from their own rooms looking sleep deprived and jet lagged. The feeling was being shared by everyone no doubt. I leaned against Billy's side and yawned as the elevator began to make its way up to us. We were going to be driven down to the far end of the docks which held a helicopter pad; they had called earlier apparently and switched from boat to chopper because it would be faster for us. The boats had shipped out last night ahead of schedule with our decked out RV's and would instead be waiting for us there…which was better than standing in a jungle without any protection.

I straightened up as the elevator chimed, Alan always used to say that he thought that dinosaurs can't see you if you don't move, which was obviously proven wrong when they attacked them but I'd give it a try in a last ditch effort. We piled in and Muldoon pressed for the basement as another group lined up to go down. Billy nudged me.

"We're nearly there."

"Tell me that when we get there. This is to much flying in one day." I looked at myself in the reflective mirror; the orange of my dad's radio phone was the brightest thing in this elevator. Muldoon had changed his starch white shirt for a tanned one which was rolled up again to his elbows. This man had scars everywhere. I was beginning to form a picture of him fighting off the raptors after he had saved my mom.

A Hummer was waiting for us when we stepped out into the basement and butler-servant guys piled our stuff in as we took seats in the cramped car. I looked out the window as we took off, comfortable silence settling between everyone as I tossed my legs over Billy's lap again. We'd be flying over Cuba, passing by Jamaica to get to the weird nearly-African shape of IsleNublar. IsleSorna and a third Isle rested next to it but those two were much smaller compared to Nublar. Ian had said Sorna was even more hellish than Nublar and the third island had either been untouched or Cuba had wiped it out because neither Ian nor my dad knew anything about it. Sarah had said that it had been the testing field for Nublar and had dozens of cremated remains of failed dinosaurs but then again she was always kind of an extremist zoologist lady to me.

Seagulls and fishermen passed one after the other and I watched it all pass by like a movie. We were getting closer and closer and it still felt so far away. I looked away from the window and leaned back, staring at my wrist where I had tied and old red handkerchief…it belonged to my dad when he went out on digs he always wore it. I had found it stashed away in a box and whenever I needed encouragement when Alan wasn't around I'd just stare at the worn edges and somehow find it again. I took in a deep breath and looked up as we made our way down a slope to where the chopper was waiting for us, I stared. Now that had to be one of the biggest and yet smallest choppers I've ever seen, it looked like a war chopper.

"Military issued, used for recon mission and to pick up P.O.W's in camps." Muldoon spoke up, answering and confirming my silent question, "Built for speed…and large cargo."

"But in this case the cargo would be us." Linda unbuckled as we came to a stop, "Well, now's the time to turn back, anyone?"

We all stared at one another and I heard Alan's voice in the back of my head, yelling at me to come back home and forget this all happened. I heard Ian's voice screaming at me to get my ass back home on a plane…and then there was my voice which was seventy million years behind me in the land of long necks and spike tails. Hugh laughed.

"I don't think anyone wants to go the hell back now. Let's go."

We filed out of the Hummer, Muldoon bringing up the rear as we retrieved our bags and handed them to a chopper pilot. The propellers were spinning at high speed by the time we got everything situated and I had to duck behind Billy from the force of the wind coming off of them. I grabbed onto his arm as the propellers were turned up a gear, Muldoon clutched his safari hat on his head as he and the pilot screamed at each other to be heard over the noise. I looked in the distance as another chopper began to fly in, propellers beating the crap out of the air as it made a large circle around us.

"We gotta go!" Muldoon shouted over the roar, pushing us all towards the chopper and opening the door for us all. I took a seat next to Billy by the window, Muldoon and an extra pilot sliding in next to me as Linda, Hugh and Jose slid in as well.

Outside through the window-doors I saw Clark and Kent actively talking to a man with a grey beard who looked like he really wanted to punch him. Billy snickered and strapped himself in as the chopper began to lift off. My stomach seemed to lift all on its own and I groaned, leaning forward and putting my head between my knees and squeezing my eyes shut. I never felt this on the planes but the second you put me in another vehicle that could fly I had sickness. Billy rubbed a circle on my back as the chopper began to tilt in the direction we wanted…I could hear the other one begin to touchdown on the pad because there were yells.

When I looked up we were already in the air going at breakneck speed over sparkling dark blue water. I sat back up, still clutching my chest just in case and stared as tiny diamonds flitted across the ocean top. I used to surf, back when I lived with my biological dad, he'd take me to Pismo and Huntington Beach and lay out in the sand while I struggled to get on my foamie board. I still loved it, every time I got a chance to go to the chance I rented a board, slipped on my wet suit and crashed against the waves. I remember when I was about sixteen I rode a wave with a dolphin and crashed in fear because I thought it was a shark. It swam around me after I realized what it was and I was able to touch it before it took off to surf the sea with its family.

"Might as well get some shut eye before we arrive at the island then." Muldoon slipped his hat off and put it over his face before stretching his arms behind his head, Linda scoffed.

"He'll fall into a coma with all this sleeping he's been doing."

I laughed and turned into Billy's side, putting in my headphones and staring at the sea as OneRepublic's Dreamin' Out Loud softly wavered through the speakers.


	6. Touchdown

The sea grew darker and darker the closer we got to the island and the clouds seemed to be greyer than anywhere else in the world despite the fact that there wasn't any rain coming down. Everyone inside the chopper had grown silent the moment the pilot said we were ten minutes away from the island, slowing down considerably to get in range with everything. I leaned against Billy as we stared out the window to the lush, green island. Clouds of mist were covering the tops of the mountains, making it barely visible to actually see anything besides all the green trees and plants. I rubbed my hand against the window in case it was the fog not allowing us to see anything, nothing. I turned to look at Muldoon who was staring out the same window as well, his shirt brushing against me.

"Did it use to be like this?"

"At times, the weather might have changed around this island as well to accommodate to the new life via the plants and animals. Your mother used to say that we had no control over this island and she was right." He peered through the window before turning to look out the other one where Hugh and Jose were pointing out different things.

"It looks…it actually looks how I pictured it in the books." I rested my chin against Billy's shoulder as he sighed, "Really wet and humid. We left Florida which was humid to only go to a new place where it was still humid."

"Comin' up on your left." The pilot drawled back to us, we looked up.

"What are you-" Linda began but she was cut off by a cry that pierced through the air. Billy looked to me and I stared out through the window.

"Angie…what're you-"

I grabbed his face and turned it to look outside.

The animal was beautiful, gliding along the sky like a majestic eagle. I held my breath as the tanned, scaly pteradon glided next to the chopper five feet away, tiny beady eyes that were black as night flicked to us and for a second I was the only person on that chopper staring at the creature.

"It's beautiful." Linda breathed as the pteradon's wings beat against the air, tilting the chopper slightly with the force of it. I put my hand to the chilly glass as the winged dinosaur swooped down suddenly, heading straight towards the ocean. Muldoon placed a hand on my shoulder as I leaned further over Billy's lap.

"Best not to rock the chopper." He nodded and pulled me back until I was in my seat again. I noticed Billy was slightly pale and not facing the window.

"Billy? Billy what's wrong?"

"Nothing, just…I may not like birds." He looked to me then looked out the window, I smiled, "I saw a movie where the uh, pterodactyls fed a guy to their babies. Never liked them since."

"Just be thankful you're in the chopper." Robert laughed. Suddenly the chopper lurched forward then down, I felt panic rise in my system as everyone tightened their seatbelts, Muldoon tipped his hat with a small smirk.

"Shoot her down."

We stood on lush solid, brown and green ground staring up at the only port of transportation as it rose into the air and flew off into the distance. I shouldered my bag as Billy rose from the ground where he had been kneeling. I shielded my eyes from the sun that had decided to peek through, my hands shaking as Jose walked over and handed me a giant leaf.

"Works great as a shield from the sun." he smiled before walking away, I stared down at the plant in my hands.

I was holding something that existed thousands upon thousands of years ago, something that had grown in bunches along the prehistoric grounds that once littered the earth like an infestation. The plant scratched against my fingers as I traced over it, my fingernails dug into it and scraped a long scar into the fibers protecting it. Billy nudged my side and motioned to another chopper landing above us; I dropped the plant and took cover next to the others who were shielding themselves behind an old boat house. I rested my head against the wood of the boathouse, listening to the thud-thud of the chopper, I breathed in. this was it…I was finally at JurassicPark. I opened my eyes again and saw fresh, clear blue skies and the earth.

The flash of a camera blinded me and I had to blink multiple times before I was able to make out Billy's figure standing a few feet away from me with a smile on his face, my camera in his hand as I crouched next to a stream that was next to our camp. I rolled my eyes and splashed the cool water on my face again, trying to erase the sweat from my face. Billy snapped another photo before joining me on a log.

"We're supposed to be taking pictures of what we're doing here Billy. This isn't a beauty shoot." I dried my face with a towel as I turned to look at him, "Why don't you take a picture of a tree or something."

"Nah." He looked down at the camera before looking over to the humvees and the motor homes were stationed at. We had made a base in a semi covered opening and was just waiting for the morning light again to move out to the main JP building. Billy watched Muldoon enter one of the motor homes, "You know, I was thinking, for a few days they sure put a lot of expenses into these machines."

I nodded in agreement. The windows on the motor homes had bars that crossed every which way, the doors were solid steel and the locks were a series of twists and pulls. The tires had spikes coming out of the sides; the entire top half was outlined with steel spikes like we were to be expecting an air raid. It was painted camouflage and so many other things were adjusted to it to make it more menacing than a place to simply sleep and drive in. I stood up, tossing the towel into my bag before hopping up on the log next to Billy; everything was quiet for the moment, nothing moving or making noises other than the men who were rechecking everything on the vehicles. I checked my watch, six o' clock at night.

"They spared no expense I agree. My dad said there was nothing living or dead, that would make him come back to this island but I know deep down that he'd come here again just to see it one more time."

"Yeah, you're dad's smart but I don't think he's stupid." Billy handed the camera back, "C'mon, let's get inside before something decides to surprise us. This place makes me paranoid."

I followed Billy through the mud and into the trailer Muldoon had entered, warmth immediately encircled me and I smiled as Linda popped out from around the corner giving us whole grain bars to munch on. I closed the door behind me and threw my bag into the bottom bunk in the back of the trailer before collapsing onto it halfway. Billy jumped on top, his muddy shoes hanging in my face before he toed them off and tossed them to me to put on the ground. Muldoon was across from me on the bottom bunk as Jose read a book above him. Hugh, Linda, Clark and Kent were in the front of the trailer getting everything hooked up. She was stocking medical supplies since we had the medical trailer and the two hackers were putting up signals all over the island. The island was beautiful, what I've seen of it so far anyways. All the plants are bigger than what I could have imagined and I managed to write things down while Hugh and Jose excitedly talked about species and the dinosaurs that would eat which things.

"So…how come your old man isn't along for this ride?" Muldoon spoke up, sitting up on his bed and tossing his hat behind him, "I'd think he'd want to come back and see how everything's going."

"He uh, he actually despises the island believe it or not." I laughed and took off my over shirt, setting it next to me as I picked at some dried dirt on my arm, "And he'd kill me if he found out I was here. I was offered so I came."

"Hates it huh? Well I don' blame him, hell of a thing to want to come back for."

"So why did you? You were the game warden, you got…you were attacked by things that ruled the grounds millions of years ago. You know the damage these things can do."

"I like the beauty of the creatures; I love 'em. I used to work in zoos and I used to go on hunts for extreme beasts but these things…it's like a drug almost. Although this will be my last adventure to the Park or any other islands that have these beasts on them."

"So what happens if we run into any tyrannosaurs then? How much beauty can you see in them when they're tearing you apart?" Billy leaned over his bed and I reached up, flicking him in his bare shoulder, "I mean, the rex got out in San Diego and they had to use a ton of darts to make it transportable right?"

"The incident in San Diego should have never happened." Muldoon slid off his boots and rolled up his pants, I gave them a look.

"Wait, so incidentally…should we not be here then?"

"Angie."

"What?" I looked between the two men and Billy rolled his eyes before Muldoon shook his head in amusement.

"Let's just pray we don't run into any rexes then. As much as you all like the island, we best hurry up the moment the sun comes. There's more carnivores than herbivores it seems these days." Muldoon whispered before turning back into his bed and sliding the private drapes shut, blocking us from him for the night. I looked up to Billy as he dropped down shirtless as he dug in his bag for another shirt. I crumbled a piece of binder paper and threw it at him.

"Great, I feel like a jerk now…you're rubbing off on me."

"What?" he grinned and tossed the paper back at me before shoving me over into one corner and crawling into my small cubby of a bed with me. Our limbs tangled and I laughed as he smacked his head on the side, "That'll leave a bruise."

"You can be so clumsy, my god." My cheeks hurt from grinning too much and from trying to keep quiet, Billy slid the drapes shut and sat back, our legs still tangled together as he lit a flashlight and set it between us, "Are you trying to recreate a campfire? Because I forgot my s'mores."

"Shut up. This is me attempting to catch up with you on your life. I haven't seen you since…well I guess last year before I took off to Montana with your dad."

"I'm secretly wondering if you're having an affair with him." I joked; Billy rolled his eyes and mumbled 'gross' beneath his breath before he gave another smile. I yawned, "Well I've been good since you last saw me, I've uh…I've missed us I guess."

"Well, we're together now. Get some sleep Angie." He tucked some hair behind my ear before he leaned forward and kissed my cheek, "I'll see you in the morning."

"'Night." I smiled as he climbed out and closed the drape again before I changed my clothes and cuddled underneath the blanket.

Tomorrow was looking pretty wonderful.


	7. Site A: Jurassic Park

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> unbeta'd, i don't own anything other than my own OC's  
> I'm reposting most of my own stories from fanfiction.net so if this seems similiar, well, it's just me.

Mud seeped around my boots as I hopped down from the hummer, humidity swept around me and I wiped my forehead with the back of my hand and gave a sigh.

The giant JurassicPark visitor's center loomed before me; age and the wear and tear from the climate and its inhabitants were shown easily on the crumbling marble. Everyone had left it the way it was, never taking a second look back. I snapped a picture of the building as Muldoon hopped out besides me, giant hunting rifle in his hands as the movers and security filed out of the other cars. He set the weapon on his shoulder and surveyed the scene with me.

Lush green vines had wrapped around the building and what had been sleek white marble was now rotted and brown with dust and dirt. Plants grew over the steps and into the building where the door…well the door was nowhere to be seen at the moment but there was a giant hole, like something had crashed through it. I stepped onto a rock as men began to file into the building slowly, weapons raised and backs tense in suspension. Billy smiled and shouldered his bag as we waited for the all clear to move in as well.

"So, what all went down in this building?" I looked to Muldoon as a man came out giving the go-ahead. Hugh and Billy entered the building first as I trailed next to Muldoon, "Besides the souvenirs."

"We engineered the dinosaurs here. Made them, watched them pop out of their shells and in some cases, disposed of the ones that…the ones Ingen didn't approve of."

"Oh." I frowned and entered the building…nearly falling onto my face as my foot caught on a stray piece of rubble that gave out. Muldoon grabbed my arm and I gave a shaky smile as he helped me back up. I looked around me, "…Holy crap."

The visitor's center had been over taken by the island. I could make out what had been the steps, what had been doors, what had been the bathroom doors…I stress the past tense of had.

"It used to be nice." Muldoon looked around with me, sighing and readjusting his hat.

"What happened? It looked like the Hulk smashed through." I shook my head and snapped pictures, moving backwards as I tried to capture the other half of the visitor's center.

"Tyrannosaur maybe, only one animal big enough to make that hole." Muldoon stared at the gaping hole in the side of the building that had vines and other life hanging from it. I snapped another picture.

I yelped as I slipped backwards on something, my elbows smacking hard onto the floor as my camera flew up and away from me. My head slammed down and I blinked as blackness ebbed its way into my vision. I groaned as pain rocketed through my body, elbows throbbing as my legs rested on something soft.

"Angela! Angela, open your eyes and look at me." Billy's voice floated around me and I felt his hands come and cup my head, lifting it off the ground as I began to see color again; Billy's dark eyes became clearer and clearer. He gave a relieved smile as he helped me sit up, "You need to watch where you're going."

"What'd I slip on? Where's my camera?" I rubbed my head as Billy helped me to my feet. God my elbows feel like jelly, I glanced to what I had tripped over as I spotted my camera on the stairs. I turned back to the object as Billy crouched next to it, fingers ghosting over the brown leathery skin, "Please tell me that's not what I think it is."

"Velociraptor skeleton and very well preserved." Hugh ran over to where we were at, camera snapping photos left and right before putting on latex gloves and handing another set to Billy, "Billy help me lift him up."

"Her." Muldoon sounded, stopping the both of them as he turned in a slow circle, gun raised and carefully sweeping around us, "The raptor is female."

"Yeah…whatever." Hugh huffed and they turned the dead animal. I made a face as the skin seemed to stick to the concrete before peel away.

"Oh god, guys that's gross." I retrieved my camera as Billy and he began to examine the animal. Muldoon looked disgusted as well, good to see I wasn't the only one.

I looked up the stairs as men began to file out with tiny things of equipment in their arms below. I stepped on the steps carefully, eyeing the hole where the ceiling had fallen onto the stairs and taken it out. My feet crushed grey rocks as I shouldered my camera and pulled myself up on the railing and inched my way over the gap like I was on some rock ledge. I jumped to safety just in time to hear the railing creak and snap in two, I blew hair out of my face as I got up from where I had fallen, patting dust off my clothes.

"Be careful up there! They didn't scout that high." Muldoon shouted to me, I waved him off and looked around me on the top floor.

Up here was where a little café sat, well, where a café had sat. I snapped pictures and moved further in, my shoes making imprints in the dirt as I kicked dead vegetation out of the way. I looked over my shoulder as a cloud of dust suddenly rose and I heard the sound of tiny feet on the ground. I put the camera down around my neck and turned a full circle, paranoia creeping in through my skin.

"Hey how uhm, how small can carnivores be?" I called out to no one in particular; my voice wavered through the air as I spun back around at the sound of a tiny shriek.

Atop the café counter top that was overrun by weeds stood a tiny creature no bigger than a Chihuahua on its hind legs and skinnier than a coffee cup. Its flesh was lime green like the garden snake and it…well it looked like a min tyrannosaur with its tiny arms perched in front of it. God, it was actually pretty adorable. I smiled and took my flash off, setting it to low before I took a series of shots as the tiny creature tipped it head like a dog and made the tiny noise again. I smiled and slung the camera around me as I reached towards it. It evaded me like how a cat would when it didn't want to be touched; it nipped the air next to my fingers as I gave a small laugh. This seriously couldn't be a dinosaur much less a tiny carnivore; this thing was skinny as hell. I looked down to see another green min tyrannosaur at my feet, nipping at my shoelaces.

I stepped back, bumping into another one. I stilled and my breath came short as I looked back to the first dino I had seen, about twelve others were now behind it…it tilted its head at me again, its black beady eyes narrowing as it sounded off again. I looked around me and watched as more crept out from the shadows and beneath plants, I stepped back and stepped on one's foot. It shrieked and snapped at my leg, ripping a piece of my legging off and scratching my skin.

"Shit!" I cried out, slamming into a table and feeling pain shoot up through my hip bone, I looked down again as one hopped onto my shoe. I kicked out, sending it flying into its twenty other buddies as they hopped from the counter and onto the ground, "Get the fuck away!"

I kicked again watching as they smartly evaded my feet and scurried in all different directions. I slammed my hand on the table and pushed myself over to where I had climbed up; I felt a sting on my shoulder and looked as one chirped and dug its claws into my shoulder before it made a go for my eyes. My palm connected with sharp, smooth, tiny teeth before I tore another off my back where it had dug into me. I screamed loudly, knowing someone would hear it as I kicked more away from me. There had to be at least three dozen green monsters around me now, all chirping and screaming in their own chorus.

My foot connected with a root and I crashed to the floor, struggling to get up as the green things swarmed around me and nipped at my skin and my clothes. I could feel their tiny feet dancing on me as I screamed and kicked them to get off, my eyes closed as tiny cuts littered my body.

Then it was gone, I could hear the faint sound of an electric wire frizzing out before I looked up to see Billy and Muldoon holding baton configured tazers, aiming at the tiny things before Hugh was behind me, pulling me up and dusting me off. I buried into his arms as the fear ebbed away. The tiny swarms of creatures ran off as Billy tazered one until it collapsed in a tiny heap. Hugh turned me to face him; his large hands calmed mine down from shaking as he inspected the mini bites in my arm.

"Compis… scientifically known as Compsognathus. They're cute and tiny one-on-one but deadly when the pack starts to form." He explained as Muldoon threw one into a wall, "You should go see Linda, at least get some Neosporin on the cuts so you don't get a foreign infection from this island."

"I told you to be careful." Muldoon stopped next to us before handing me the tazer baton, "I can't have you dying on me now so from this moment forward, no more exploring without me present."

"Got it. Sorry, I'll be more careful next time." I muttered before he walked away, carefully shimmying down the stairs. Billy took a look at my cuts and nodded his head.

"Go see Linda, I think your dinosaur adventures are at an end." He smirked softly and I punched his shoulder before holstering my new weapon and following after Hugh down the steps, "You know if you just wanted to get bit…"

"Oh my god shut up Billy." I rolled my eyes and joined in with his laughter as Hugh lifted me from the step to the safe, solid first floor. I stopped next to the messy remains of the raptor Billy and High had been engrossed in, "Did you guys find anything useful?"

"I think I found the stomach, their organs are placed very oddly yet relatively close to any other animals." Billy made a face and knelt down next to it as Hugh sat on the steps, taking a small break.

"So…nothing?"

"Nothing."

"Hey! We've got a problem!" A voice sounded from the room the men had been filing out of with equipment. Muldoon pushed off the front wall of the entrance and made his way to the back muttering 'stay here' to the three of us. Hugh saluted him and Billy sat back on the ground…well he said I couldn't explore without him present…

"Angie where are you going?!" Billy called after me as I flipped my camera back on, jogging after Muldoon and into a…into a gigantic lab.

I let out a breath as I looked around, where the plants had gotten to the visitors center nothing had really touched this once sterile part of the building. Muldoon glared at me but allowed me to stand next to him as he surveyed the area as well.

"What went on here?"

"The hatching of the eggs, raptors over there and triceratops over there and the embryos were stored in that room up there. Everything was controlled and modified here. Oy! What's going on?" he gestured to broken in shells before taking off to where the men had all gathered. I walked over to where the baby dinosaur shells sat, all still in perfect condition, as Billy came rushing in. I smirked as he spotted me then grew speechless as I gently picked up an egg.

"Holy shit." He stared in amazement as he grew closer, footsteps soft and a wide smile across his face, "This is…amazing."

"Alan said that they 'played god' when they helped hatch the eggs. I can see it from that point of view but can you imagine watching a brachiosaur being hatched right in front of your very eyes?! Oh god, I wish I could see one of these hatch right now, hear what they sound like when they take in that first breath of air. Here hold it, let me take a picture."

I took out my camera and handed the egg to Billy who looked up and gave a wide smile as the flash went off. I tucked the camera away and picked up another egg. This was amazing, a real dinosaur egg. Billy put the egg back and walked to another broken in glass shelter. JurassicPark had everything it had seemed; they bred the creature's right in the center of the building. On the ride here on the chopper Muldoon said the animals got lethal around four weeks or days or something, well the carnivores did anyways.

I set the egg down as Muldoon popped his head from around a corner, searching me and Billy out before nodding his head to come closer. I nudged Billy and we walked through empty spaces where some equipment had been and climbing over desks that had been pushed together before coming next to Muldoon.

"I need you two to be quiet, we've got a baby in there." He walked over to another door and I raised an eyebrow.

"A baby?"

"Look for yourself."

I peered into the room…and nearly fell to my knees.

A baby triceratops was shuffling around the open space of a room, a large hole behind it that showed the outside world. Muldoon placed a hand on my shoulder as he knelt down alongside Billy.

"Must have climbed in, strayed from the heard?" Billy questioned as the baby sniffed at an ink printer before giving a sneeze. I laughed and took three pictures of the animal, my heart racing and cheeks hurting from smiling at it. It was so beautiful and just…it was amazing,

"I suppose it won't hurt to take a closer look." Muldoon muttered.

"It won't kill us?"

"The babies are like dogs in the sense of meeting new things. The herbivores are friendly as long as you don't make any sudden movements or you know, shout." Muldoon pumped his gun before looking at us, "Just to be safe…let me go first."

"Do you see its tiny horn? Billy, Billy this is amazing oh my god. I want one as a pet, I really do." I grabbed his arm as Muldoon approached the baby, whispering softly as he held a hand out.

The baby eyed him from the corner of its eye before swinging around and staring straight at him. Muldoon stopped and crouched down, coming to eye level with it. For a baby it was huge, the top of its head easily reached Muldoon's middle…I'd kind of hate to see how big the mom or dad got to be. The baby sniffed at Muldoon's hand before bumping its nose against it softly and releasing a kind of soft moan. He smirked then motioned for us to come forward. Billy led me behind him, shielding me as we came closer and closer. The skin looked rock touch and it looked almost fake. But it wasn't. None of this was fake. Everything was completely real.

"Let her sniff you first. Just like a dog." Muldoon instructed as Billy pulled me next to him.

I stretched out my arm and took a few steps closer, nearly jerking my hand back as the triceratops rough nose rubbed against my palm. The texture was smooth and bumpy and dry, I smiled as it bumped my palm and gave a little smile. I stepped closer until I could see straight into its dark black eyes; I rubbed my hand over its snout and laughed as it tossed its head up, letting out another moan of some sort before giving a shake.

I turned back to Billy as he retrieved my camera and took a few pictures. I rubbed its jaw and moved to rub over its thick neck and to its stomach. I leaned against its stomach, letting my weight fall on it as Billy let it sniff him. I closed my eyes and felt it breath deeply beneath me, I swear I could hear it its raspy breath and pounding heart as I draped myself over it. I looked up as Billy swept its hand across its small horn, eyes wide in disbelief as he smiled dreamily. I pushed myself off the baby and knelt down to its feet, like giant saucers. It reminded me of an elephants foot almost, well the circular shape at least did. I stood next to Billy as we gushed over the creature, rubbing its hard pebbley skin as Muldoon crawled to the opening and looked out.

"I'm touching a dinosaur…Billy, we're touching dinosaurs." I whispered as I rubbed the top of its snout again, the baby closed her eyes and gave a small smile as it shuffled on the ground to get more attention, "My god, I'm in love with it."

"I never thought they'd act like this…it's literally seeking affection like a dog." Billy laughed as it actually stuck its large purple tongue out and licked a stripe up his arm; he pulled away, "Ugh, gross!"

I laughed as he smiled and wiped the slobber on his shirt, I leaned against the dinosaur again, comfortable as Billy flung slobber off his arm. Muldoon walked back over to us, gun shouldered again.

"We best get you back Angie, get you patched up." He gave the dinosaur a hearty pat before looking at me. I must have looked sad because he chuckled, "There will be plenty of dinosaurs on this island that you can see. C'mon, say goodbye to her. I have no doubt her mum's looking already."

I waved bye to the dino along with Billy. Before Muldoon shut the door on the creature I caught a glimpse of it turning back to the opening and releasing a cry that sounded like a baby calling for someone. Muldoon raised an eyebrow as if to say 'See? I told you.' I rolled my eyes and followed after Billy to the visitor's center where Hugh was now missing. Billy wrapped his arm around me as we walked out into the sun, muttering jokes before we came to our trailer where Linda flung the door open, glasses on and a fake glare in her eyes. Billy looked to me then her.

"What's wrong?"

"You were due ten minutes ago is what. Come up so I can check you out and give you two some food." She ushered us inside.

I sat my stuff in my cot before wandering over to the medical table where Linda had put out some gauze and…medical things. I picked at the dried blood on my arms as I watched her snap on gloves, Billy was leaning against the wall next to me munching on a sandwich as he gave me a smartass look.

"Most of the cuts from the compis are scabs now, their bites were tiny."

"I don't care how tiny they were, they got blood to come out of your skin-this may sting." She shook her head before wiping my arm, I flinched.

"You have any kids Linda?" Billy spoke up as I bit my lip to keep from crying out. It felt like a thousand tiny hands and knives were pulling at my cuts but it also felt nice…like they were ripping it clean.

"Four, all married. I had my fair share of bruises and cuts let me tell you. Their dad built them tree houses and made them teach themselves how to ride a bike."

"Well I did too growing up but it never hurt this bad." I voiced as she started on my other arm, "What made you want to become a nurse?"

"My mother had cancer, when she passed I went into nursing." She dipped another wrap in the sting-liquid, "It's paid off I believe."

BA-DING. BADING-DING.

"What's that?" Billy looked around us and I frowned, "Sounds like a phone."

"My phone-Alan's phone! It's in my bag!" I gasped in pain as Linda swept across my neck, finding a gash, "Jesus woman!"

"Your fault sweetheart." She suppressed a smirk and Billy yanked the phone from my bag.

"…it's coming from…from San Diego."

"…"

"Fuck, Angela…"

"Well who lives i-"

"Shit! I am so dead!"


	8. Malcolm and Grant

**One hour earlier**

Ian Malcolm opened the door to his apartment and gestured for Alan to walk through before shutting it and turning the top lock, never could be to careful these days. He and Alan had met up at the bar not far from here, Alan had missed his flight and Ian was completely and finally done with grading papers. Ian shrugged off his jacket and went to the fridge to grab a couple waters, the vodka and beer shots were enough already.

"Thanks." Alan nodded as he uncapped the water and took a sip, Ian sat down on the opposite end of the couch and drank his, the icy coldness sent shivers through his body, "So…"

"I hear you're uh, you're planning another torturous dig over in Montana in the next year." Ian reclined further but Alan turned to him, one eyebrow raised and a disbelieved smile forming on his face.

"Where'd you hear that?"

"Angela, she mentioned it the other day."

"Angela…you know, I've noticed that she hangs around you and Kelly quite a lot." Alan set his water down and Ian could feel that sweat begin to creep down his neck…it was like meeting a girlfriend's dad all over again in high school. He shrugged.

"Angie and Kelly are-are good friends I don't see anything wrong with it. And I-I-I know you know that I give Angie tutoring lessons after school. We make conversation."

"…Hmph." Alan grunted before turning to look around his place for the first time, "How's Sarah?"

"In Africa again. Doing her uh, doing her thing you know." Ian gave a nervous laugh and Alan nodded before taking another sip of his water. Ian really didn't know why he invited Alan over in the first place, they really weren't friends but they really weren't enemies. He knew that Alan looked down on his chaos theories but he honestly couldn't understand why any living man or woman would want to spend several hours a day on their stomachs digging up old rotten bones, "Hey, speaking of Angela…do you think you'd go back to the island?"

"She been bugging about the island too?" Alan looked over and Ian gave a nod, "Yeah, she's been really interested in it lately I don't know why. I almost feel bad for making her stay, she's always been the kind of girl that wanted to see things in order to believe it. She's the astronaut."

"Astronaut?"

"Dr. Malcolm, there are two kinds of people, the ones who stay on the ground always staring up at the stars but never having a need to go near them are the astronomers. Now the astronauts, the astronauts are the people who dream of going up and actually do, they're the ones that make things happen while the astronomers just sit and watch."

"And Angie would be the astronaut…and that would make you the astronomer?"

"I don't know about you Dr. Malcolm but I like staying where I'm at, even if it's in the dust." Alan laughed dryly and Ian shifted in his seat and frowned before brushing it off.

Silence fell before the two of them, this time more comfortably and Ian flicked on the TV as they finished their waters. The astronaut and the astronomer…out of all the things Grant ever said that actually made sense. But then where would that leave him? He liked to be up close but he liked to be safe so…he was just the chaotition. The astronaut, the astronomer and the chaotition who liked to be in the middle somewhere. Ian smirked to himself, now that, that made perfect sense. Ian glanced over at Grant and noticed a troubled look on his face, like he couldn't figure out a puzzle.

"You uh, you all right there Dr, Grant?"

"It's Angela, something just seemed off when she left the other day. I remember when she was in high school and wanted to go out with her friends to this gigantic party on the beach and I wouldn't let her go…she threw the nastiest fit I've ever seen. But the other day, when her dream was right in front of her, right under her nose on a piece of paper…she just tossed it away with a smile like she didn't even care. I don't know, it just seemed strange."

Ian thought back to the other day, when he had called her to come into school. He and Alan had read the letter and had both agreed that it was too dangerous and completely unacceptable to allow her to go. He never really experienced Angela's rage fits but he had pulled her from parties a few times on campus because of the reputations the parties escalated to. Of course she got mad but nothing ever escalated into fights. Ian rubbed a hand over his face.

"Yeah, I suppose it was strange…who does she know in Florida?"

"The girl, I think Casey was her name I don't know. She has a lot of friends it's hard to keep track of them all." Alan laughed then suddenly quieted, "…but I've never actually heard of a friend in Florida."

"Could have moved when they were little." Ian shrugged and Grant just kept quiet. The wave of paranoia was passing through them steadily and equally. She wouldn't accept the offer, she couldn't have accepted it. She knew how much the both of them hated the island, hated the monsters that Ingen played god with. Ian looked to Alan, "She's not…Angie's not that rebellious is she? I-I mean she's not immature or stupid."

"I don't…well she did have that dark phase in junior high…have you tried calling her?"

"No…no I haven't." Ian looked to the phone and Alan immediately got up, "Alan come on. We're probably just being paranoid, Angela wouldn't do this."

"I'd like to believe that but something's telling me otherwise." Alan picked up the phone and dialed her cell phone, "The tours going out to the island were shipping from Florida, hopping to Costa Rica then sailing to the island. Angela just doesn't visit people's dying mothers, she hates hospitals."

Ian stood up from his couch and leaned against the counter where Alan was waiting for her to pick up. He pressed a button on his computer which he had moved from his room the day before Angie left. He frowned as Yahoo Mail popped up with several new messages…but he didn't have a yahoo account. He scrolled down, oh it was hers. Alan cursed as the phone went to voicemail before pressing the numbers in again.

Ian clicked on her messages, bypassing all her messages to and from a BrennanBilly09 before coming to a stop. He fixed his glasses on his nose as cold fear and dread swept through him. No, no Angie wouldn't do this. He double clicked on the message Angie had last replied to before talking to the Brennan guy.

**Re: Re: Re: Thank you so much for the chance! Good luck I guess back at you in whatever you do. Hopefully I'll be back in one piece.**

**p.s. Isle Nublar is close to Costa Rica isn't it? I mean if we go to the island won't the government see us flying or sailing over head? I'm all for it, but it seems a little risky. Anyway, thanks Tim.**

Ian leaned back as the screen seemed to fuzz out and go blurry, the world and air around him vacuuming everything out around him and Alan. Grant cursed again and set the phone down before leaning forward.

"She always answers."

"Grant."

"She's always on her phone anyways. If she was visiting someone she'd be on it."

"Alan."

"What?"

"Tim Murphy was hosting the expedition to retrieve all the equipment right?" Ian faced him, Alan nodded before coming closer, "…We were right."

Alan's eyes skimmed over the messages she had sent to Tim, the night she had said she wouldn't go. Ian stepped back and ran a hand through his hair as he tried to calm himself down, his anger and fear ate at each other and caused uneasiness in his stomach. Alan turned to face him, fear and anger and disbelief on his face as well. Then something flashed across his face and he groaned.

"What?"

"She asked for my satellite phone a couple days before she left, I didn't know why but I gave it to her anyway."

"She was planning this all along then."

"She must have heard that they offered to take me but I refused, they gave it to someone else in my department…did they offer you?"

"…No, and I'm glad they didn't." Ian went back to his laptop, typing into his own email account on a different site, "I know some people over at Costa Rica, I can have them pull-"

"No, no it's too late. They've already landed by now, they probably already set up food and shelter." Alan collapsed on the couch, head on his hands, "That Island isn't safe."

"What-what does she even expect there? She's heard our stories, she's made me repeat them a thousand times. I-I-I don't get it. There's the amazement then there's the running and the screaming and the blood. I don't know how many times I've pushed her out the door here to make her go home and sleep."

"what?"

"…what do you mean what."

"…She's come here…to your home…" Alan stood up and Ian bit his tongue. Alan groaned, "Please for the love of god tell me there isn't something between you and my very young, ungraduated daughter."

"…Now Alan-"

BING.  _You've got mail, you've got mail._

Ian spun around as a message flashed across the laptop screen, Angela's account popping up again. Both men moved towards it and clicked, watching as a message from a satellite dish popped up.

**Clark and Kent here, just updating your GPS devices. You probably won't get this message but we'll be doing this every half hour to keep track of where you've been and where your body might end up at…ok. Bye,**

"Well…now we know where we're going." Ian muttered before taking off to his bedroom, Alan stuttered behind him before walking into the darkened room as well.

"What do you mean, where we know where we're going?" Alan stood still as Ian threw a couple shirts, an old hunting knife and some socks into a bag before turning to face him, "We-we can't go back there!"

"Alan, this is Angela. Your daughter. She's on that island with god knows what kind of people and hellish creatures and I-I-I actually want her back home alive now, than in three more days." Ian studied Grant as the words sunk in, Alan stood up straighter as he reached for his cell phone and walked back out to the living room, "Okay now what-what are you doing?"

"Calling Ellie. She'll be able to get Mark to take us there and have backup from the Navy or something. He has friends in high places as well-Hello, Ellie? It's me Alan, we've got a problem."

Ian shook his head as the split up couple began to raise and lower their voices in fear. He grabbed his jacket and slid it on before closing out of his account and hooking up Angela's GPS number into his phone so they'd know where to look. He looked up as Alan ended the call with a small nod.

"The airport, twenty minutes…Mark got us a  _sonic_  jet."

"…We'll be there in-in less than five hours." Ian turned off his computer and watched as Alan slid his hat back on, a new look on his eyes as he typed in a new number, "What are you doing now?"

"Calling my satellite phone, if she has it then she'll answer it." he put the phone up to his ear and Ian drew closer. The phone rang once, twice and a fifth time before they heard the click of static and a small voice coming through.

"Hello?"

"Angela, this is Alan. Where are you?"


	9. Knew it was trouble

I closed my eyes as I held the satellite phone to my ear, my dad's voice coming through. Billy stood in front of me, worry etched in his face as Linda finished patching up my arms. She left to give us privacy and Billy nudged me, edging me to go on. I sighed and opened my eyes.

"Angela? Angela are you there? Where are you?"

"I'm…I'm in Florida-"

"Bullshit." A new voice came over the line and my eyes widened.

"Ian? What the hell are you-"

"You lied to us Angela." Alan's voice came back over the line and I felt every piece of guilt and shame drop into the pit of my stomach, "How could you do this? We told you not to go, we've told you everything about this island."

"Dad listen, I'm old enough-"

"You haven't even graduated Angela! You don't have a degree in anything yet! Paleontology is different-" there was a garble and Ian's voice came over instead.

"Angela, listen. We're coming to pull you the hell out of there. There are things on that island that could kill you with a microscopic bite. So…stay put.

"Ian you-Billy!" I stared at the man in front of me as Billy took the phone from me, I stood up and leaned next to him, my ear pressed close to his to still hear.

"Dr. Grant? Dr. Grant are you there?" Billy folded his arm across his stomach and I heard silence before a frustrated groan.

"Please…please tell me that isn't you Billy."

"Don't worry Dr. Grant, Angela's safe here with me and we've even got that Robert Muldoon guy who was here when you guys were here."

"Billy you're going to get the both of you killed and I'll-"

"She'll be safe, we only have a few days left. We'll see you when we get into Miami." Billy hung up and I stepped back, staring at him as he handed the phone to me, "there you go."

"I can't believe you just did that." I sat back on the table before putting my head in my hands, "I can't believe I just did that. I've never lied to either one of them before…Ian hates it even when I joke.. God, they'll never trust me with anything again."

"It's like you said Angie, you're old enough." He hopped up besides me and draped an arm around me, "This Ian guy, Ian Malcolm. What was he doing with your dad?"

"I don't know, Alan was supposed to be gone by like, the other day. I don't know, I don't know about anything anymore. Maybe this  _was_  a bad idea."

Billy sighed next to me and I sat up, leaning against him as shame washed over me in waves, he leaned his head against mine and brushed a kiss against my temple.

"Tell me about Ian, you've mentioned him a couple times. Something going on between you two?"

"I don't know, yeah I guess so. I mean…yeah there is." I picked at my bandages and Billy flicked my hand away from them, "It's just hard at the moment since I'm pretty sure my dad hates him. Plus the age gap."

"Well your dad hated me too."

"You annoyed him."

Billy laughed and I joined in softly as Linda poked her head into the trailer again, I smiled tightly.

"Everything went okay?"

"More or less." I answered as Billy hopped off, making room for her to finish patching up the cuts on my back, "…Do you mind Billy?"

"No, not at all." He leaned against the wall with a smirk and Linda rolled her eyes.

"Out, out now. There will be no staring at the half naked girl while I'm here." She shooed him out of the trailer despite his weak protests as I smiled to myself and stripped off my shirt, wincing as the cuts on my back stretched and pulled. Linda let out a breath, "They did quite a number on you."

"Yeah, I can feel that you know."

I laid down on my stomach as she began to patch up my back, I rested my head in my arms, reveling in the soft touches and the barely there sting. Linda kept quiet and I felt myself drifting off, every muscle in my body slowly relaxing. I closed my eyes.

* * *

I leaned against the inside of my cot, pen in my hand scratching away at the paper in my lap as I thought of introductions to my piece. Billy was completely out above me, one arm hanging over the side of the bed as he snored softly. Jose was eating and writing things down in his own journal as twenty different kinds of plants were spread out around him in his bunk. Clark and Kent were eating along with Linda and Hugh. Muldoon was still outside with the other men, probably setting up the perimeter again and checking everything out for the second night.

I bit the end of my pen and stared down at the half ass intro I had made, I'd update it when I started typing it our but something just seemed off. I scratched out a sentence and started again just as Muldoon came into the trailer, boots muddy and I noticed that it was actually raining outside. I watched as he shed his boots and nodded to the others before hanging up his gun in the locked safe. I scooted towards the end of my bed, pen and paper behind me as he sat down in his cot. He looked up at me and I criss-crossed my legs.

"Get patched up all right Angela?"

"Yep, smart idea to bring a medic. How's everything outside? I didn't even notice it was raining outside, I never heard anything."

"Rain proof walls, can't hear a thing. Which is bad more so than good."

"Why?"

"You can't hear any predators coming until its too late." He shrugged out of his shirt then his undershirt and I stared as more scars and cuts were revealed. I blushed and looked away as Muldoon caught my stares, he chuckled, "'S all right. Not much I can do about them anyways."

"How'd you get them? How are you like, not in ribbons yet?"

"The longer ones," he traced several going down his abdomen, "Were from the raptors back when I 'saved' your mom. Clever girl had attacked me. The others are from getting to close to the animals here and a few misplaced shots."

"Gunshots?"

"Hammond hired complete inexperienced idiots to help the animals along. Get in the way of a shaky gunman and you feel the bullet go through your shoulder." He shrugged and wiped at the mud that clung to his skin. Our showers weren't working that well but everything smelled strange around here so I don't think anyone really cared, "I'd ask how you got your scars but I already know."

"Oh ha-ha, very funny. Look, I'm rolling around laughing my ass off." I laughed as he put on a snug white t shirt before getting up to go change his ruined pants. He ruffled my hair and I punched his hamstring as he walked away. I picked up my notebook again as Billy moved above me, taking his hand with him. I set my things down again and rolled my eyes, getting up to close his drapes and give him some privacy.

"Angela! Come eat." Hugh waved me over as I made a move to get back into my cot. I paused, I really should. All I had was some fruit and a third of Billy's sandwich. I shrugged to myself and walked over to where the others were seated at around a table, I smiled as Linda pulled out a chair for me, "Glad to see you're in one piece."

"It'll take more than a few compis to get rid of me."

"Like your dad?" Clark spoke up, his shaggy black hair nearly brushing his eyes. He gave a small smiled before going back to looking at his sandwich after I gave him a look, "We uh, intercepted the call by accident."

"He seems like an asshole." Kent spoke up broadly, shifting in his seat as I took a bite of the sandwich. I ignored it to love the food in my hand at the moment. My god that was delicious.

"Dead pool's an asshole." I commented back, pointing to his shirt, "But most assholes have their secret intention as well. He's just looking out for me, he remembers everything that happened to him here.

"Dead pool's fucking awesome." He muttered under his breath before guzzling down some water, I shrugged.

"Clark shut up, geez." Kent nudged his friend's arm and they shared a look before smirking to themselves. Linda and I shared a look of our own.

"You two are brothers aren't you? Either that or gay-"

"Brothers. By two days for some reason. I'm the older one and the tallest one." Clark cut off, eyes glinting for a few seconds before returning to normal behind his glasses, "Our dad was into comics and thought it would be funny to call us Clark and Kent."

"So what're your real names then?"

"Well I'm actually Clark."

"I'm Joseph." Kent leaned back in his chair, "But I like Kent better."

We laughed with them and I looked up as Muldoon walked back in from the bathroom, low slung jeans on. I grabbed another fold out chair and motioned to him to come eat before turning to the two brothers.

"Kent suits you. I agree." I winked at them loving the way Kent blushed and distracted himself with his water, Muldoon sat next to me and rubbed a hand over his face before making some concoction with the food.

"What about you Angela? Tell us about yourself, I mean your father's one of the top paleontologists in the world." Hugh spoke up, wiping his mouth with a napkin, I laughed to myself feeling the spotlight beam down on me.

"It's normal actually, it's not like he's Brad Pitt. I don't get special access into anywhere except maybe museums and digs. He's famous in paleontology, not Hollywood."

"What about the others who were in JurassicPark?" Linda looked to me and I gulped down some water before leaning back in my chair.

"What about them?"

"Do you know them? Well beside you Robert of course." She gave a smile in Muldoon's direction as he was mid bite, he just gave a short nod.

"Yeah. Ellie Sattler was my mom and I'm in Ian Malcolm's class at the University he teaches at. It's not like they get together to have a pow-wow about the trip. My mom used to wake up screaming a couple days after she got back. This place is a nightmare for them, they were hunted and people were killed right in front of them. Tim Murphy came here as well, the one who organized this. My dad saved his and his sister's ass when the Rex attacked them on the tour. These are monsters in their eyes, they don't want to remember."

They stared at me intently as I finished and I felt that hotness radiate through me, even Muldoon had stopped eating and was staring at his plate no doubt remembering the events he himself had gone through. I folded my arms across my chest suddenly feeling defensive before Hugh coughed and broke the trance everyone had. He scratched his chin under his beard.

"And what do…what do  _you_  think of this place?"

"Honestly? I think it's both beautiful and dangerous. I mean if we were to breed compis and sell them in Manhattan there'd be dead kids everywhere, we don't know what these dinosaurs are capable of and they don't know anything about us. For as much as they care, we're just walking things of meat and protein."

"I agree with Angela." Muldoon muttered, "All we should focus on is getting the equipment out of here as fast as we can, we're already bordering on three days and haven't even gotten to the compound on the other end of the island where most of the prized equipment are."

Everyone nodded in agreement and went back to eating more and scraping things off their plate. I chewed thoughtfully on a piece of meat as I stared outside the window where rain was slowly running down and falling off. The visitor's center was pitch black on the inside and I blindly thought of going back in there when everyone was asleep to snap a few shots privately. I shook it out of my head, no, that was a  _very_  bad idea.

I yanked my boots off as I leaned against the side of my cot; everyone was either falling asleep or had been asleep for the last ten minutes. I dropped the boot and sighed as exhaustion ran up through the soles of my feet and into my bones. All I did was take pictures today, how could I be this exhausted? Then again, I was always on alert because Muldoon had been muttering raptors all day so maybe the adrenaline killed me throughout the day. I leaned my back against the side and closed my eyes for a moment, listening to Billy's light snores besides me and the rain pelting from above.

God, what was I going to do? Alan was coming here to get me, probably by morning along with Ian and they were going to drag me back to the states where I'll either be dumped and scratched out of the will or dumped and thrown in the dirt with all the fossils…both a very highly likely chance. I rubbed my eyes and stumbled back out to where we had been eating, dragging a chair to the window and slumping into it, staring out at the prehistoric land before me. All of this, I had risked my relationship with my father and Ian to witness this. A part of me wanted to feel horrible but…when I touched that triceratops something had shifted in the gears of my mind. JurassicPark was…unique. Everything little boys had dreamed of and everything little girls had marveled at had come true; Hammond had engineered a living dream.  _Yes, but dreams don't usually eat people alive_ I heard Ian say in the back of my mind before I pushed him out of my thoughts.

"You should get some sleep. Need the energy for tomorrow."

I looked up as Muldoon came over, double checking his gun on the case before looking over at me. I turned away and shrugged, not saying anything. After a minute he pulled a chair over next to me and plopped himself in it, I tried not to stare at his scarred bare chest as he reclined further back.

"Thinkin' about your dad?"

"You can say that. He's supposed to pick me up tomorrow, along with Ian Malcolm. They told me not to come and I did and well…they're pissed."

"…Well if it's any comfort no planes can fly in this weather for another good twelve hours. You've got time to marvel in Jurassic for a bit." He smirked and I laughed softly, curling my legs to my chest and resting my chin on my knees.

"That's…I don't know how to feel about that actually."

"Think on it while you try to sleep." He got up and nudged me until I stood up as well, "C'mon, in you go girl."

I rolled my eyes as I made my way to my bunk, Muldoon behind me as he switched off all the lights and the generators for the night. I peeked in on Billy, some part of me relieved to still see him here before pulling my drapes back. Muldoon patted my back before climbing into his own bunk and closing the drapes shut. I slid into my blankets, pulling my own shut as I clicked on my ipod and curled up against the wall, closing my eyes. Rain continued to fall from above.

* * *

I woke up to something warm pressed against me and something sharp digging into my shoulder. I opened my eyes slowly, stretching my body like a cat's as a soft snore ghosted over my head, Billy was out cold next to me. I rolled my eyes inwardly as I untangled our legs, pulling away from the intense body heat that was being shared back and forth. I jumped out of my skin as Muldoon ripped back our drapes, smirk on his face as he knelt down next to me.

"You uh…you've got something in your bed."

"Shut up Robert. What time is it?"

"Time to eat before we trek over to the last compound, Billy!"

Billy jerked away, smacking his head above him and groaning as he fell back, clutching the side of his face, Robert chuckled.

"Atta boy, wake up." He walked away and I slid the drapes shut, enclosing us in semi darkness again. Billy rubbed his eyebrow before making room for me next to him as I tried to kick the hot covers off.

"Might I ask what you're doing in my bunker young man?" I yawned; Billy shrugged and kissed my cheek.

"It gets cold here doesn't it." he smiled brightly, eyes lighting up as he pulled the drapes back and stepped out of the bunk and up to his. I rolled my eyes and slid out as well, reaching for my bag for a change of clothes.

"You just wanted me for a human pillow." I smiled as I grabbed my toothbrush and headed to the bathroom, Billy following close behind with his own, he shrugged as I handed him my toothpaste and ran my own under the tap before beginning the minty routine.

"That reminds me, you seen The Human Centipede yet? I remember you talking about it when I last saw you." he shoved the toothbrush in his mouth as I perched myself on the sink.

"No, I was going to with Ian but he actually chickens out really easily." I spit into the sink and Billy raised an eyebrow.

"That was hot."

"Shut up." I mumbled around the toothbrush.

We finished quickly and I changed into my standard shorts, leggings and an old raggedy faded blue button up that Alan let me use when I visited at the digs as it got chilly at night. I wrapped the red bandana that had belonged to him around my ankle, covering up the worse nick the compis had gotten at yesterday. I did my makeup and straightened my hair before skipping out of the bathroom and over to where Linda had prepared some fruit and protein bars for us. We weren't supposed to cook really or start fires, the smells could attract the animals in good and bad ways. I smiled to everyone as I bit into watermelon, vaguely hearing Muldoon shouting to the other outside as they ran around getting things together.

"So how far away is this compound?" Clark asked from behind his computer, I peeked over his shoulder, "Because my computer isn't picking up anything on it."

"Muldoon said on the other end." I pointed out the site on the screen to him and he double clicked on the map, bringing up nothing, "That's weird."

"Everything ran on a global thing, I forget the name but it was supposed to save power economically so that there'd always be power on the island. Me and Kent managed to hack into terminals to get some kind of location but usually there'd be something of a power source coming from it. There's nothing."

"What could have taken it out? By the way, where is your brother?"

"Said he had to go check on something, if you hear the Star Wars ringtone it'd be him. Uhm, something completely tearing through the channels? Water damage like a flood could do it."

"Well the island has taken over the Park, I'd be betting on a flood of some sort." I shrugged as Muldoon came back in, gun propped on his shoulder as usual and looked to Clark.

"Where's your bloody brother?"

"Beats me. I haven't seen him in an hour. He has all the GPS codes, I could figure it out but it'd take some time-Robert? Robert hey!"

Muldoon walked back out of the trailer and Clark looked at all of us in worry as he pushed his glasses back up on his nose. I could see fear trembling through him.

"What's…what's going on? Did something happen to Kent?" he pushed out of his seat but I gently pushed him back down, something in my heart tearing in two.

"I'll talk to him, start working on the GPS locations it'd be better if you had them as well." I waited until he shakily nodded and went back to his laptop, I shared a look with Billy and he nodded before taking a protective seat next to the young hacker. I went off after Muldoon.

* * *

He had been running for what felt like forever, his thighs burnt and his lungs ached. Leaves and roots seemed to come out of nowhere, taunting him as he jumped them like hurdles. His heart was racing so fast it was hurting his chest, but he had to keep running or else they'd get him.

Kent leapt over a fallen tree trunk, scraping his knuckles against the bark and sending pain through his body, he could hear their claws digging into the ground behind him. He gasped for breath as he stumbled through a water puddle, splashing mud up onto his Wolverine shirt and soaking his skin. He unclipped his phone and tossed it to the side before sliding through a pair of close tree trunks.

He had only wanted to explore a little bit a few feet inside the jungle form the trailer, but he had walked to far and before he knew it there was something moving in the bushes. He had taken off, wishing he had powers like those in the comic books he and Clark had secretly loved stealing from their dad's closet.

"Agh!" he screamed, hearing his ankle twist then his knee pop as a tree trunk seemed to pop up from nowhere. He tumbled into mud and skidded along the ground, twigs and rocks grinding up against his skin. Tears fell from his face as sobs racked through his body. He wanted Clark, where was Clark? He wanted his brother; he wanted his mom and dad. Tears fell from his face and he bit his lip to keep from sobbing as he slowly stood up, "Clark…Clark where are you?"

There was a snap behind him and he stilled, leaning on his left leg as a cry fell from his lips, tearing from his throat. He couldn't turn around, he wanted Clark. Where was Clark?! Something blew against the back of his neck and he screwed his eyes shut, sobs racking through his body.

_I just wanna go home._

* * *

An ungodly scream tore through the argument Muldoon and I were having, it broke through the air like glass and cut through our voices like a fingernails on a chalkboard. We spun around as several more screams filled the air from behind the visitor's center in the jungle. Muldoon cocked his weapon and I took a step back as the trailer behind me swung open, Billy and Clark stepping out. I stared as another scream pierced the air then suddenly it was cut off.

"That's Kent! That's my brother!" Clark shot forward, evading Billy's grasp and rocketing past us, "KENT!"

"Get down!" Muldoon reached out a hand and slammed him to the ground, pressing a knee to the young boy's back, "Do you think screaming your bloody head off will get him back?"

"Get the fuck off me my baby brother's out there! Get the fuck off me!" he lashed out at Muldoon and I snapped out of my state, I jerked Muldoon back and Clark pushed himself up as Billy locked him in his arms, "Let go of me! I have to go get him!"

"Muldoon please, there has to be something." I bargained with the game warden as Billy struggled with the young kid who was yelling bloody murder as tears streamed down his face, "Muldoon please. It's his brother."

"It's a suicide mission. Whatever attacked his brother is waiting for us." he whispered back to me, watching the broken kid crumble into Linda's arms as she came running out, he clung to her as his heart shattered to a million pieces, "I have no interest-"

"For fuck's sake Muldoon it's his brother!" I snapped, punching him in the shoulder where I knew a deep scar rested, he flinched, "You're going to let a kid die here?!"

"Exactly, a fuckin' kid. You kids don't know any better, you think this is all just some big ride at an amusement park and you think if you go out alone nothing's going to fuckin' happen to you!"

"How dare you-"

"And I don't need some paleontologists' kid ridin' my arse about rescuing some kid who fucked up on his own time-"

"Angela don't!"

My fist connected with the side of Muldoon's jaw, throwing us both back from the force of it. I stumbled into Billy and Muldoon stumbled back and rubbed the spot where I hit him. I clenched my teeth as he slowly looked back over to me; my face grew hot from the sudden crowd we had attracted before I shrugged Billy off of me. Muldoon looked me up and down before turning to the military men and giving a subtle nod.

"I'm sorry, but you deserved it." I faced Muldoon as Linda led Clark back to the trailer followed by Hugh and Jose. Billy folded his arms besides me as Muldoon retrieved his hat off the ground.

"You really are Grant's kid, biological or not. Gonna leave a bruise though" He sighed and rubbed his jaw before turning away, "If we're not back in ten, send up a flare."

"Got it." Billy nodded, I watched as him and six other men started jogging to where we heard the screams, Billy made me face him before shaking his head to himself and pulling me along with him to the trailer. My heart raced, something was really wrong here, aside from the obvious. Like the rain dragged in something dangerous.

* * *

His boots sloshed in the mud, rain leaking out from the pores and sliding over his toe. Muldoon raised his gun to the trees as prehistoric chirps surrounded him and the other men who really looked terrified. Muldoon swung back down, stepping over a fallen branch as his eyes swept from side to side looking for the clever girls hiding amongst the bushes. He could sense something, just that nagging feeling in the back of his mind that he was being watched, and he knew he was. It was the same feeling when he and Ellie were stuck in the small jungle to get to the operation room. Muldoon shuddered as he swept past a tree, gun raised as he looked around them.

"Got something!" one of the men called quietly, he bent down and picked up what looked like to be the GPS locators that the two brothers had come up with. The man threw it to Muldoon as he came to stand besides him; Muldoon turned it over in his hands and nodded.

"We're close. Keep your guard up." He tucked the locator away and then stopped. He bent down closer to the earth, his senses attacked by mud and bacteria.

"What is it?"

"…Raptor prints." Muldoon reached out a scarred hand and traced the toe marks in the earth; he knew these all too well. Muldoon stood back up, his back burning in recognition as he moved forward again, following the tracks, "Close in, they could still be around us."

He moved forward quickly now, watching as the men formed a loose but tight line as they covered the tracks the raptors had set so perfectly for them. Muldoon should've known better, bringing those kids along even though they had the perfect equipment for GPS tracking. They were kids. It was different back then, when Hammond's grandkids arrived he never had a say in it but he should've turned these geeks down. He also should've said something about the Billy Brennan kid and Grant's daughter coming along, especially Grant's daughter. God, she was so much like him in all the ways when he met Alan Grant. The only difference was that she was younger and incredibly stubborn. If she wasn't, he wouldn't bloody well be out here tracking a kid that was most-

"We've got a body!" a voice sounded just as Muldoon stepped from behind a bush. He inwardly cringed at the site before him.

The kid hadn't even stood a chance against the world's smartest predator. The men around him turned instantly and vomited into the leaves and trees they were next to. He stepped forward, crouching next to the boy that was clutching his broken glasses. Muldoon took off his hat and put it over his own eyes, the raptors had torn into his stomach, his arms and neck. They didn't want to eat him, they just wanted to kill. He put his hat back on and reached out, fingers sliding over the bloodied skin on his face as he gently closed the boy's eyelids until he looked peaceful. They couldn't help him now, and if they moved him the raptors would track the scent and kill them.

"Markus hand me a blanket." He turned to the man next to him and waited until a green fleece blanket was handed to him, they spread it over his body carefully. Muldoon paused, holding the blanket over the boy's face.

"I'm not so sure we should continue to the other paddock Robert." Markus voiced softly behind him, watching as Muldoon placed the blanket over his face, away from the animals that had attacked him. Compis would most likely finish hi off later. Markus got up and walked back to the men as Muldoon himself stood up.

"We'll continue." He turned back, "Double time it back to camp."

* * *

I stared out the window with Clark next to me as he hastily wiped his red rimmed eyes with a towel. Everyone was silent in the trailer, even Billy who had settled himself with his back against the wall sitting on the operating table. Clark sniffed and turned from the window as he clutched a lanyard he had dug through his bag a while ago to find. He looked over to me before setting it softly next to him.

"You know, growing up we used to pretend to be dinosaurs. Kent was always the brachiosaur; I was always the T-rex. I just wanted to chase him around and tackle him. Our mom always got mad when I ended up tackling him too hard."

"Sibling rivalry. I've got a little brother and I always tease him. My mom doesn't' like that very much either." I smiled and wrapped an arm around him, Clark sniffed again, "why did you guys come?"

"I actually didn't want to but Kent did, so I came to…"

"Protect him." Billy spoke up, hopping off the counter and coming over to us, "I know what you mean. If somebody I cared came out to this island I'd do anything to come aboard just to make sure they were safe."

He looked directly at me before sliding on the opposite side of Clark. I turned away and looked out the window in time to see Muldoon and his men jogging out of the forest…with no stragglers.

"Wait here." Billy got up again and vanished outside along with Hugh and Jose.

I stood behind Clark as Linda came up and peered through the window. Muldoon's hand was a strange color as he and the men came to a stop in the middle of the site, the others looked sick to their stomachs as they leaned against the steps and rocks. Clark's head bobbed up and down, looking for his brother as Billy and Hugh crowded Muldoon who just shook his head and motioned past the trees again.

"Clark…I'm so sorry." I turned to the boy as he bit his lip and crumbled in on himself. He wrapped his arms around my waist and Linda went o fetch some medicine to calm his nerves down, "I'm so sorry about your brother Clark."

"He's not coming back, fuck! I never-never…oh go-od my baby brother…my baby brother." He sobbed into my side, tears falling and soaking through my shirt as I tucked him in my arms like I had to do to Ellie when she came back from the Park and woke up screaming. I rested my head on his and closed my eyes as I tucked us away in the corner. Clark's entire body shook with grief as tears of my own escaped my eyes, "Kent…oh god Kent…"

"Shh, just let it our. It's okay." I whispered through my choked up throat, remembering the blushing boy from dinner the night before.

Billy came in along with Muldoon who spotted us in the corner and frowned before walking off again. Billy sighed and came over to us, his baggy cargo pants softly swishing before he crowded next to us and wrapped an arm around me as well as Clark. Billy looked at me softly before kissing my cheek.

"I lied when I told you I was asked to come over. I found out Murphy had sent you and offer and I knew what would happen if your dad found out so I begged to come along, just to be with you. I asked Murphy not to tell anyone, I'm sorry I lied to you." He rested his head against mine as Clark quietly quieted down but still cried. I closed my eyes.

"For what it's worth, I'm happy you did."

The trailer engine roared to life below us as Muldoon pulled away from the visitor's center and began on another route, trees and darkened skies swept over us.

When I woke up a little bit later I saw the JURASSIC PARK sign hanging by a few bolts overhead of us as we pushed our way past the wooden entrance.


	10. Life found a violent way

Alan looked out the window of the jet Mark had supplied for them, only five minutes until they landed on the island that his daughter was stuck on. Ian Malcolm was next to him with a dozen trained men behind them who were rechecking their equipment, Ian was constantly shifting in his seat and for the first time he couldn't bring himself to tell the other man to quit fidgeting. Alan shifted his hat on his head and settled back against his seat before looking over at the dark haired man.

Ian had changed a lot to be honest, physically only. Mentally he was still the same man he had met all those years ago; full of chaos and stupidity. His hair was shorter than it had been, he had ditched the glasses but the dark clothes had stayed…along with the annoying open shirt. It was one thing to hit on his now ex-girlfriend but there was something about Ian that was itching at the back of his mind.

"How…how have you been Ian?" he turned to the other man, Ian blinked twice before shrugging.

"Good, how have you been? Angela-"

"Yes, Angela. About my daughter, what exactly is going on between you and my daughter?"

"Now Alan-"

"Dr. Grant, Dr. Malcolm we're landing." The pilot turned back to them and Ian gave a tight smile before moving to talk to the pilot. Alan rolled his eyes and got up as well…then stopped as he caught a glimpse of movement out of the window. He collapsed into a seat and breathed out a sigh of amazement.

"Ian…Ian look at this."

Down below them, herds of brachiosaurs and triceratops were moving towards a shimmering lake, a group of stegosauri were breaking from the forest behind them slowly. Alan pressed closer to the glass, his breath fogging up the pane. Ian squeezed closer to him as the plane dipped lower, Alan felt a mesmerized smile spread across his face.

"I've forgotten how wonderful it all was." Alan watched as a large brachiosaur, with its tough grey skin, move and tumble into the lake. Its skin shone like glass like the water when it stood up on its powerful legs and crashed back down, sending a wave over the smaller brachiosaurs, "Look, do you see that-"

"We're picking up a signal." The pilot interrupted again and Alan moved from the window along with Ian, they crowded into the cockpit as he pointed out the beeping that was flashing across the radar. It was getting closer and closer.

"Can you tell what it is?" Alan watched as the plane soared over a mountain top and dipped back down where there was a dirt road, "Look for a radio signal-something."

"We're going over the paddocks." Ian voiced, his gaze locked back to the windows, Alan moved next to him again. The plane slowed down as they soared over the gates that had once held the dinosaurs but were now strewn across the ground where vegetation now grew. Alan looked out the other window as they flew over the paddock where the tyrannosaur had escaped six years ago when he first arrived, "Could you uh-drop us down here?"

"No, open spaces are-"

"The visitor's center then." Alan interrupted this time, voice hard as he tried in vain to see any vehicles on the road as they continued. Something in him clenched and twisted as he turned back around, "If they started with the equipment then they'd…they'd go there."

The pilot nodded before making adjustments to turn his course, a voice broke over the radar like it had been for the past hour telling them to turn back. Alan sat back down, his heart thumping in nervous anticipation as he took his hat off and scratched his head. His hands were shaking. He doubted Angie would be there by now; they'd probably be on the other end of the island. Ian crossed his legs next to him and took in a deep breath; Alan unclenched and clenched his hands as the plane began to make a wide arc.

"How can you be so calm?"

"Trust your daughter Alan."

"I trust that she won't date older men but you're living proof that I can't trust her that way."

Ian shot him a look and Alan felt a small tinge of regret but then remembered that the man might have touched Angela in a way that no man should ever touch his daughter. Ian rolled his eyes and rubbed his jaw before running his hand through his short hair, Alan frowned at Ian before heaving a sigh.

"I'm sorry Alan, it was never really uh…meant to happen."

"She's your student and  _my_  daughter."

"Being your daughter has nothing to do with this. Besides, she's old enough to make her own decisions without you. She's not a teenager anymore Alan, she's growing up."

"So you wouldn't do what I'm doing if the roles were reversed and I was dating your daughter?" Alan growled, facing the dark haired man, watching as Ian opened his mouth to reply then shut it again, "That's what I thought…she ever tell you about Billy?"

"That…the kid she's with over here?" Ian felt himself grow hot in the face and a green demon started to appear on his shoulder with a jealous grimace, "So what about him?"

The plane touched down and everyone inside jostled into the person next to them, Alan's elbow smacked against Ian's and they grimaced as they rearranged their selves. Alan replaced his hat back on his head as the plane slowed to a halt.

"I prefer him."

Ian rolled his eyes again, feeling the slight sting of the other man's words but he ignored it for the moment. He looked through the window to the Visitor's center that was stolen by the jungle. Alan peered over his shoulder.

"Well, you're stuck with me for now Dr. Grant." He muttered, following the other man out into the burning sun of Nublar, the one place that haunted his subconscious for two years.

* * *

Alan wiped his hands on his old jeans as sweat slid down the back of his neck; he peered down at the marks on the muddy ground. He followed the marks with his eyes in the direction of the tour path he had gone on towards the paddocks, the only thing missing were the Jurassic vehicles and the trail they were powered on.

"They left mid-morning. Went on the tour." Alan voiced as he stood up, the muscles in his legs straining as Ian walked back over to him, stuffing his black jacket in his bag, "There's several compounds on this island that house expensive technology. Only about four would be valuable."

"Raptor pen, triceratops, brachiosaur and-"

"Tyrannosaur." Alan nodded and coughed into his hand as Ian dusted a leaf off his shoulder, "If they do have Muldoon with them, if it even is Muldoon at all, then they would hit the Tyrannosaur last."

"They're going in a line then." Ian shielded his eyes from the sun and looked in the direction of the tour path where the tracks disappeared into, "If we move now we could catch up."

Alan looked at the afternoon sky; they had no protection other than rifles filled with tranqs and bullets that would be completely useless against dinosaur skin…but then again Ian had survived with a dozen men and guns just like this. He looked to the darker man as their own men broke from the trees where they had been scouting.

"How long did it take you when you came? To reach safety through the jungle."

"Ingens' men had scouted the areas of the uh-the carnivores and we went on the outskirt of-of that…no fire, no food. A night as least. We were uh-ambushed by a rex and raptors in the fields."

"We know where everything's at." Alan muttered to himself and spun in a slow circle, his boots making impressions in the drying mud so he stepped onto the grass, "And they left tracks to follow."

"Nothing's easy here Alan. Something's…something's always watching us," Ian stepped closer and let his voice dip to a whisper and for a minute Alan felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up on end. Suddenly there was a shout and they both turned around to the men that were running with a blanket of something heavy held between them all. They met the men halfway and watched as they set the blanket down carefully, "What…what is it?"

Alan crouched down next to the lump and felt that fear that something had happened. He reached over to pull the blanket back when his boot nudged something, he looked down…

To see a fragile, torn up hand.

He stood up in surprise and backed away along with the other men who looked ready to be sick. The world seemed to crash around him as the hand flopped on the ground. No…no it couldn't…

Ian stepped around Alan as he rubbed a hand over his face. No, not his Angela. Not his Angela. She was the youngest person on this damned trip, and that…Alan's heart thumped in his chest and rose to his throat as Ian grabbed the blanket and tugged softly until the body was shown. Alan squeezed his eyes shut as he saw a mop of black hair.

"Alan…"

Alan opened his eyes; he could feel that thump in his heart in his neck stop then drop to the bottom of his chest and turn everything in his body cold. The men around them suddenly turned away in disgust and emptied their own stomachs in the grass. Ice swept through Alan's body as he stepped closer to the body wrapped in the blanket.

It had been attacked and the wave of decomposition told him it happened recently but with the blanket and the heat it smelt far worse. He let out a sigh of relief as his eyes fell over the male features on the face but then that wave of fear and guilt rose in him like bile. He kneeled next to Ian and let his eyes roam over everything. Ian had his head turned away and eyes closed, hand over his mouth from the stench. Alan used his shirt to cover his nose as he categorized the deep cuts and claw marks that ravaged the boy's body. They had dug in and ripped up; the blanket was a bloody mess so the boy had bled out when he was still breathing. Ian hacked up a cough before turning back, eyes falling to the dark red on the kid's skin.

He had been shaking, pulling back that blanket while Alan squeezed his eyes shut in case it was Angela. A dozen images had flown through his mind when he saw the black hair and relief and terror had seized his entire body when he pulled the cloth back to reveal who it was. It was like dry ice had been poured over his veins.

"Raptor." Alan softly confirmed, eyes scouring the marks that ran along the boy's torso, "He was hunted then killed."

"They didn't finish him, just wanted to-to kill him." Ian shook his head then reached over to pull the blanket back over the boy along with Alan. They grimaced as the bloody blanket brushed against their shirts, transferring the blood to them. They stood up, eyes sweeping around as Alan took out his radio cell and dialed. The other end went dead, "If there's one thing I know, it's that that boy was scared for his life."

"Well I know Angela wouldn't leave anyone behind, they must have known themselves-damn phone." Alan thwacked it before trying again.

"No signal?" Ian looked back at him as the men carefully lifted the boy up and took him away to bury under the earth so hunters wouldn't scavenge the body.

"I don't have much luck with technology." He stuffed the phone in his pack and the two men's eyes were drawn back to the track marks, "They're our only bet to get to her."

Ian stuffed his hands in his pockets as Alan let out a sigh. Something was going to happen, and he didn't want to be a part of it but chaos…

Chaos never cared who it picked.

  


 


	11. Billy Brennan and the t-rex

Billy Brennan rested against the side of the compound they had gotten to an hour ago, sweat slid down his temple and he lazily wiped at it with his dark green shirt as he drank from his lukewarm water bottle. God, this heat was intense and unbearable to the point he thought he'd be better off in a sauna the rest of his life.

Since they had came to the compound there wasn't much of anything he could do like he had back at the Center, all that was in here was dead equipment and technology that he had no interest in. their 'guards' were standing atop the trailers watching everyone and making sure no one wandered off again. Anyways, so here he was, posing as a paleontologist with legitimate credentials with no idea what he should be doing. Maybe. Billy looked up a the sound of a camera clicking to fins Angela seated atop their trailer next to Clark who was huddled in on himself with his head resting on his knees. The poor kid…Billy shook his head as something in his heart clenched in pain.

To lose someone was hard enough but to lose someone to-to an  _animal_  that was supposed to be extinct was even worse. Billy couldn't get the kid's cries out of his head; 'baby brother' rang in his head every time he looked at the young boy.

Billy moved aside as men came out carrying glass domes.

When Muldoon had come back saying the boy was dead with blood on his hands…the only thing that ran through his mind was 'thank god it wasn't Angie.' Billy look back up in time to see her bring the kid into a hug and kiss his forehead before resting hers on his, he smiled to himself before pushing off the wall he had been resting on and walking into the compound for the shield of the sun.

She'd be a great mom; he had always though that since the first time he had met her…that was one of the best moments in his life…

_Five Years Ago_

Billy flicked dust off the toothbrush before returning to the bone he was unveiling; the head of a baby brachiosaur, his fifth one under Alan Grant so far. He tuned to the side and coughed as dust flew into his nose and hit the back of his dust in an angry storm.

"You'll get used to it Brennan." His partner, Graham spoke up next to him. He grinned as he took Billy's dirt toothbrush from him and patted his shoulder, causing more dust to puff up, "Taka e a break, grab some water. The bones'll be here when you come back."

"Thanks." Billy nodded and stood up, the Mexico sun beating down on him as he made his way to his 'volunteer' tent.

He had volunteered to go on this dig because he was one of Grant's students, to be the student of the world's most renowned paleontologist was amazing…plus a bit of hero worship but his friend had done the same thing following a band around and now he was their tech operator. At first he had been excited when Alan approached him into volunteering for the dig but Billy hadn't really thought it through; just packed and followed obediently. He does that a lot come to think of it. Anyways, they were in collaboration with the archeologists who had been digging up an ancient civilization and happened across dinosaur fossils so the money was split and for the first time since working under Alan, Billy saw how happy he was for the dig to be kept up for as long as they wanted. Most of their digs closed after a couple months or so.

They had twenty volunteers for the dig and fifty at the archeological site so the food and water supplies were equally shared and passed along. For some reason, out of everyone and Alan's more experienced students, he chose Billy to help him and his assistant Graham personally. So the three of them had worked day and night every day for the past couple weeks and Billy finally felt comfortable. Alan was quiet when he worked but when he was asked a question he'd go off in lectures to which he and Graham would just smirk and tune out until he was done.

Soon enough Alan was turning to Billy for answers and Billy had been promoted to honorary assistant. It also helped that he was studying under Alan during his school year and well, being at every dig Alan was at.

Billy tore his dusty-gritty shirt off and used it to wipe at the sweat on his body, the course grains scratched and dug into his skin. He tossed the shirt into his tent as an old beat up red truck with the institutes' insignia sprawled across the door. Alan must be back then, which Graham wouldn't like. He had come down with a rough cough a few days ago and Graham forced Alan to go inland to clear it up. Billy grabbed another shirt to slide on but stopped mid way when the person-who was very not much Alan Grant-hopped out of the truck…in shorts and a worn-out MontanaUniversity shirt.

Billy watched the young girl grab a bag from the bed of the truck and make her way down the slope towards where the dig was taking place; she brushed short hair out of her face and readjusted her glasses on her face as she hopped onto level ground. Billy slid his shirt on and turned to Graham who hadn't noticed yet. if she was a volunteer worker then she might as well head back now, Alan doesn't accept late comers, especially if they're two weeks late. She wasn't from the archeology team either, he had met most of them that first night they had the giant bonfire.

Billy looked away as she passed then looked back up and watched her make her way to Alan's beat up old trailer. She moved like she owned the place, like she wasn't even bothered by the fact she looked like a city kid and didn't fit in. But the fact that she headed towards Alan's trailer stirred something in him, Alan enjoyed his privacy and he hated it when anyone went in. Billy had gone in only once to get Alan's extra brushes and that alone he knew set Alan on edge.

Billy took off after the girl, knowing Graham wouldn't do a damn thing, and watched as the girl opened the trailer door and stepped inside. He ran a hand through his dirty short blonde hair and wiped his face from the dust. She was pretty and he had a first appearance to make anyways. He stepped into the trailer softly; nerves on edge like Alan would pop around the corner at any second. The girl had her back to him and was going through the fridge, her ratty converse tapping to a beat that only she knew. He coughed obviously and she spun around in surprise before offering a welcoming smile.

"…Can I help you?" she shut the fridge, taking out a beer and sliding up on the counter. He noticed a red bandana tied around her wrist as she scratched beneath it, "Oh, you don't know me…"

"Nope. Sorry, listen-"

"So you're not Graham?"

"Graham?" Billy raised an eyebrow then chuckled softly, "No, no I'm not. Graham's outside. My name's Billy, Billy Brennan."

He stuck out a hand and moved closer, she took it and blushed before handing him the beer and getting water for herself. He stared at the beer, unsure whether to open it or not but went for it anyways, he nodded in thanks.

"I'm Angela Grant, Alan's kid. I'm sorry I thought you were Graham. We talked on the phone the other day; I have his retirement papers and everything." She gestured to the bag that had been thrown haphazardly on the small chair in the corner as Billy hopped up on the counter across from her, "It's nice to meet you though. I can see why my dad chose you,"

"Your dad's Alan?" Billy relished in the ice cold beer that went down his throat, "Funny, he never mentioned he actually had kids."

"Yeah, we're not very big on the 'sharing' the family thing." She laughed and ran a hand through her hair, "Speaking of him, where is he? I've been trying to get a hold of him for like, a day."

"Inland, came down with something. Graham he uh, made him go clear it up." He watched as she rolled her eyes and muttered 'figures' under her breath before looking up at him again. She had the most amazing brown eyes he had ever seen…and tanned skin, and raven black hair, "You don't look anything like Alan."

"Stepdaughter, Ellie Sattler's kid technically." She smiled and Billy nodded, he had met the woman once, when she had been a guest speaker in Alan's class a year ago. Billy scratched at the dust caked into his hands.

"The paleobotanist is your mom? So you've lived through the Park fame as well then huh?"

"Yeah, all the glory of it." she groaned and he laughed then hopped down from the counter to toss the beer away.

"That bad?"

"Try being the guy's kid in a  _public_  school. I'm not a very big fan of attention I guess. One thing Alan and I always agree on."

"So what would happen if I gave you attention?" Billy smiled softly and stepped closer until his shirt brushed her arms. She bit her bottom lip and smiled before looking down in her lap. She looked up and he gave a small smirk.

"You'll have to try harder than that Billy Brennan." she smiled and he chuckled before stepping back, the moment fading away into comfortable silence.

"So when is my dad going to be back?"

"Give or take a day. Knowing him he won't stay for long."

"Sounds like the Alan I know. Can I help out here? 'Cause I'm not leaving yet; I flew from California on a couple hour flight and I am not turning around."

"How much do you know?" he challenged as she hopped down from the counter as well.

"I'm majoring in this field…and I've been on more digs than any seven year old would care to admit. This isn't exactly my first time seeing dirt Billy." She brushed past him and he laughed to himself before following out. He grabbed a kit and handed it to her before they made their way to Graham. He stared at her for a moment and she raised an eyebrow, "What?"

"…nothing, come on."

_Present_

Muldoon shouldered past Billy, stripping his own soaked-through shirt off. Billy walked further into the compound trying not to inhale too much of the dust circulating through the air.

After they had settled in with Graham Angie had attached herself to him like a leech, except this one Billy had been happy to have. When Angie had left the dig a few days later, she had left with his number, email and an address she could visit. They had completely hit it off, better than any girl Billy had hit on. She was nice, sarcastic and at times bordering on way too playful to be normal but nice nonetheless. Alan had noticed the crush they had formed on each other, what with Angie draping herself over him like a blanket at night when everyone was resting but Graham had shoved Alan off Billy's back thankfully…still, Alan seemed wary of him whenever Angie was brought up.

A couple months after the dig they had met up in Vegas to hang…and everything Billy had ever known flew out of his head. She was beautiful and daring, a thrill seeker like him and an adventurer. They couldn't have been more different and the same. Their Vegas trip had ended on a steamy note and soon Billy was flying to Cali after the digs to crash at her mom's place with her. Before Billy knew it they were an item, a couple…something Billy really hadn't thought about since diving into paleontology.

But it had ended badly, for the both of them. He blamed himself just as much as she blamed her own self. The falling out between them cut deep and from time to time it would come up in his head, all those night arguing and fighting, that he'd just stop whatever he was doing and just feel the sickness in his stomach curdle.

If they hadn't broken up, if they hadn't grown apart. He would have proposed.

They were still friends, still said hello whenever they happened across each other but something between them had shifted from friendly to so friendly that they knew something was still there. But then came Cheryl at the one dig when Angie surprise visited…and that pained look he had seen in her eyes when she caught him and Cheryl…he tried not to think about that to much. He had broken up with Cheryl a day later but now Angie had Ian Malcolm and from what Alan had told him about the chaotician and the interviews from Ian's encounters…frankly, he seemed like an idiot and a guy who Angie usually wouldn't look twice at much less date.

But the things Angie and him have talked about since arriving here, from him sliding into her cot at night…Billy sighed as he came to a stop beside Hugh, looking at the dusty inside of the dark compound. He didn't know where he stood with her, he loved her still, he loved her more than before but…they were on un-paved ground at the moment.

"Muldoon says there will be one more compound, we're skipping the raptors." Hugh turned to him, using a handkerchief to wipe his mouth.

"Why?" Billy leaned against the railing and wiped the sweat from his head.

"No clue, frankly I think he's scared. Don't know why, the man survived the island."

"You'd be afraid too if you were attacked by the world's fastest predator that had once ruled the earth." Billy scuffed his shoes on the ground, "Just be thankful the most we've seen are compis. And even then we weren't the ones at the wrong end of the stick, that was all Angela."

Hugh grunted in amusement as they went back to staring at the men working, Hugh cast him a sideways glance.

"How's the kid holding up?"

"Better than what I expected. He's with Angela right now."

"She's a good kid, good asset to bring along."

"Yeah, she is."

"You used to be together?"

Billy laughed softly at the question as he leaned on his forearms against the rusty railing. He hung his head for a moment before looking up.

"I'd rather not talk about it, if you don't mind."

"All right, but ti doesn't take a scientist to see she still likes you." Hugh patted him on the back before pushing away and venturing further into the compound to take pictures. Billy shook his head and pulled away as well but went back to the entrance, the dust catching in his throat.

Angela and Clark were still seated atop the trailer but Clark was the one taking pictures while Angie sat and bather in sunlight. He made his way over to the trailer and hooked his hands around the wide ladder before starting up.

"Hey you." He grinned as he made it up, Angie sat up and smiled brightly before moving away from the kid to help him up over the dip in the roof. He kissed her cheek before sitting down, swinging his legs over the side of the trailer along with her. Her intense brown eyes locked onto him as Clark gave them privacy by sliding to the other end.

"How is he?"

"Fine, like I expected. He just doesn't want to leave the trailer so." She shrugged and they stared at the teen before looking away, "I told him to uh, to grieve at home. I don't know why I feel horrible saying it but he somehow wrapped his head around it."

"Well that's good, how are you?"

"Good, I'm pretty sure this sun is giving me cancer but otherwise than that I'm peachy. How's everything inside?" she smiled and leaned against his shoulder as he chuckled at her comment. He looked down at his hands before looking over the tree tops.

"I've been thinking actually."

"Don't hurt yourself."

"Very funny."

"I'm just kidding, tell me."

"It's just…Angie you know how I feel about you still. You know why I actually came here, it's not like it's a secret to the world or anything." Billy looked to her, heart pounding as she bit her lip, a habit he knew she did when she couldn't decide on anything.

"I don't know about anything anymore Billy. Everything's been so crazy these past few weeks it's hard to tell what's a dream and what's not. We split because of our jobs, our lives. You moved on so I did too."

"You think I actually moved on?" Billy tilted her head up with his thumb, "Will you at least look at me? You know me and Cheryl broke up after a few days when you saw us-"

"Going at it? Billy, we were talking about getting back together for a few weeks before I even arrived there." She pulled back and he let his hand drop away.

"I never moved on, every time I heard 'Grant' I always figured it was you back at the digs coming to visit. When we first met you told me to try harder and I am, still. I'm so close to earning my degree and everything else under your dad."

"But Ian-"

"Is twice your age for god's sake. He's got three kids and one of which is only a few years younger than you." Billy sat back as Angie looked away in defeat, "Don't lie to me and say what we had wasn't good."

"I won't, I can't because you know I suck at lying." She laughed dryly then looked back up at him. He could see the fire behind her eyes; just itching for a fight they had always been so good at, "There's nothing wrong with Ian. You sound just like my father-"

"Maybe because your dad is right Angie." Billy interrupted, Angie fell silent again, "I'm sorry…I'm sorry. I don't…I don't want to fight with you, we've done that enough already it's just…"

"I know Billy, trust me I do." She put her head in her hands and gave a crazy laugh of stress and anger before lifting her head back up to the sun, "God, it's like I'm in some kind of sick love triangle with you two."

"Who would you pick?"

"What?"

"Between the two of us, who would you pick?" Billy brushed hair away from her eyes and she sighed, looking down at her lap.

"…I'm indecisive." She finally let out, "It doesn't matter anyways, he'll probably break up with me after he and my dad come get me."

"He'll understand, I'm sure." Billy threw an arm around her, feeling a weight lifted off his shoulder. All emotions ran through him and he kissed her temple again as she leaned into his touch.

"You're so weird Billy. You go from 'break up with him' to 'he''ll love you'."

"Well doesn't he?"

Angela fell silent and Billy regretted the question but it was to late to take it back now. He muttered 'sorry' into her hair as Clark finally wandered over to them with the camera hanging around his neck.

. He sat besides angela and handed her the camera wordlessly, his glasses slid down his nose and he pushed them back in annoyance. Billy cleared his throat.

"How's it going Clark?"

"Fine." he responded softly, "I just can't wait to get back home."

"I don't blame you." Billy chuckled softly and bumped the kids shoulder with his fist, "What do you do for fun at home?"

"Mountain bike." He replied with a bright grin, "Off-road with friends."

"Seriously?" Angela turned to him in surprise, "Then how the hell do you manage to fit this 'technology' in with that schedule?"

"Gotta dress to impress. I do most of it over summer with Kent and we perfect it over the school year. All this stuff we made during the summer, we add things here and there." He smiled then looked over the treetops with a wistful look, "But now…now I may not even bother."

"Well you know-"

A scream pierced through Billy's sentence, making all of them jump in fear and retract their feet from the ledge. Billy watched as the guards jumped in surprise as well before hopping down and running into the compound.

"What's going on?!" Angela yelled, getting up and pulling Clark with her. Billy was already halfway over the ladder, heart thumping as he heard shots from inside the compound, "billy!"

"Stay here!" he yelled, feet smacking onto the ground, plumes of dust and mud splashing over his jeans. Angela seung her leg over the side and he grabbed it, forcing her to look at him in the eyes, "Angela, for once just listen to me and stay here. Please, kep Clark safe. I'll be back in a few minutes. Just…please, stay."

She stared at him, eyes wild with confusion and fear. Clark pulled her arm; fear etched into his face and she looked to him before giving in and nodding. She pulled herself back up and Billy thanked the kid mentally.

He took off into the compound, listening to the shouts coming from the pit where the men had been gathering the equipment. There was absolutely no one in the hallways. Billy couldn't see, the lights had been cracked out by the bullets. His heart thumped as claustrophobia gripped his heart and set his nerves on fire.

"RUN!" someone slammed in to him, sending him sprawling into the wall and smacking his head face first on the concrete walls. He slid to the ground seeing stars as the loud pops of machine guns filled the air.

"Shoot her! Shoot her!" He could hear voices swimming around him as he made his way up with the wall; his feet were clumsy as he fought down the steps into the pit. Lights filled his vision suddenly and he stared.

Men were strewn across the floors, bloodied and torn open, some even twitching. Their guards were shooting at animals that were hiding behind machines; long tails like whips smacked them into walls and claws dug into their stomachs. Billy ducked behind a pillar as a raptor raised its head up from below. Something dug into his side and he peered around the side, trying not to pay attention to the body he was crawling over. The dim red lights sent everything into him like a spiral, the generator created a hum that sounded like a monster as the men shouted and shot at the herd of raptors they had stumbled across.

A hand clamped over his shoulder and he screamed before Muldoon was stumbling and pulling him up and away from the carnage. Muldoon was bloodied, cut and bleeding like no other. Billy's heart raced and his chest hurt in fear as Muldoon shoved him into the hallway and turned around…shutting the inside door to the pit where the men were fighting.

"What are you doing?! You can't leave them in there!" Billy got up from the ground, charging Muldoon but the retired game warden just pushed him back, jamming an empty gun into the lock to hold it in place, "Robert!"

"It's either their arses or ours boy!" Muldoon shoved him against the wall, sending waves of pain through Billy's spine and he groaned, "And I quite like being alive if you don't mind."

There was a pounding on he door and they both turned to see a bloodied, beaten up Hugh begging for his life on the other side of t he glass. Billy pushed away from Muldoon and pounded on the glass as well, Hugh was screaming bloody murder, half of his face was torn and open for the world to see.

"I's so sorry, I'm so sorry!" Billy screamed at the top of his lungs as Hugh's torn up knuckles tried to break through the glass. His face was contorted in pain and fear-

Then he was gone. Like something had yanked him from behind. Billy stood, stunned in fear as Muldoon tried to pull him away. He could feel the sweat and blood from his own injuries slide down his skin. It was a euphoric experience; all the hormones of fear, anticipation, anxiety and paranoia crept over him like a smooth static blanket. He couldn't feel his legs but he could see…he could see through the bloodied glass the raptors attacking the men and snapping their necks gently with their razor sharp teeth…and suddenly Billy wasn't watching a raptor peer through the glass from miles away but now in front of him. The raptor had scaly grey skin with tiny spiked-feathers on its head, its teeth held pieces of cloth that had clothed the man that was begging for his life only moment before.

Billy couldn't breath, he was frozen. Muldoon was shoving him now from in front, his scarred face occasionally blocking the view from the raptor as it studied Billy with hellish black eyes. It cocked its head and the spell was broken. Muldoon's shouts broke through the haze and Billy found himself stumbling and running towards the door as Muldoon slammed the doors shut behind them. Billy slammed to the ground, feet and limbs numb, Muldoon jerked him up by the collar and forced him into the open.

Sun broke into his vision and he looked up to see Angela and Clark coming out of the trailer, eyes wide in fear and then surprise when Muldoon came out last, slamming the door behind him and pushing a machine in front of it.

"Billy!"

"We need to go! NOW!" he yelled, pulling her towards the trailer along with Clark as Muldoon shot ahead and into the driver's seat. She was yelling at him, Billy could make out Angela's voice warily but he was too focused on the images that replayed through his head. The blood, all that blood…and those eyes. The darkest place in earth didn't hold a candle to the beads that had looked through him, like they knew everything Billy had ever been through.

"Billy, please come on, talk to me." Angela shook him once and looked up…and then she screamed, she screamed like someone had shoved a knife through her throat. She pointed out the window and Muldoon was by her side in an instant, shoving a hand around her mouth and clamping it shut. Clark covered his own as Billy stared at the monster that had broken through the trees.

A tyrannosaur loomed in front of them, eyes locked on the trailer as silence overwhelmed them at once. Billy grabbed Clark and pulled him behind him as they all shuffled to the furthest corner of the trailer, eyes trained on the Rex that was slowly sniffing the compound and the extra trailers.

Angela was shaking in Muldoon's arms and Clark was stunned to the point Billy had to shake his shoulders to get a response out of him. Heart thudding, adrenaline racing all Billy could do was watch as the rex turned its large head to the compound where the raptor had managed to get through via a top exit. Its huge teeth chomped down on one, its feet stomping and shaking the ground as it moved from side to side.

Angela screamed in surprise behind Muldoon's hand as a raptor attempted to break through their window. Billy lunged forward as its nose smashed through, he kicked it straight in the snout and grabbed a needle that was lying around and jabbed it. Muldoon pulled him back as the raptor stumbled back in pain, only to be crushed in the jaws of the rex that was bellowing furiously. Angela's arms wrapped around Clark and Billy stood in front of them with Muldoon as the raptors scurried off in different directions. He could feel the anger from the rex through the steel that separated them.

"What's…what's it going to do?" Clark whispered, Angela shushed him and Billy pushed them towards the other end of the trailer, grabbing a pack and shoving it on. They suddenly tumbled into the wall as the rex shoved against the vehicle, Billy landed on top of the other two and Muldoon tumbled next to Billy. They screamed as the rex dove its nose into the side of the trailer.

The rex roared and rammed its head against the trailer again, sending it toppling over and over. Billy saw a flash of red before everything went black.


	12. Losing it

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a reminder that this is all unbeta'd so all mistakes are my own

Alan's eyes scanned the forest as they walked in a loosely formed line; Ian trailed behind him struggling to find a signal on the phone while muttering theories to himself about the decrease of human intelligence versus the increase of technology by the year 2015. They had been walking for an hour and a half, only hearing the buzz of insects and far off roars. Alan had to keep smacking his neck due to the mosquitoes and he had already downed his water halfway. Nublar was miserable; somehow it had gone from nice to misery in the last six years. Plus, the storm screwed them over along with the weather.

Alan stumbled over a root but was quickly pulled up quickly by Ian who gave a tired smile. Alan stopped for a second, putting his hands on his hips and looking up at the dense trees around him.

"We need to rest." He voiced, it was quickly echoed in agreement from the men as they all chose spots to settle down in for ten minutes. Alan went over to the base of a tree and sorely sat down. He let out a deep breath and fanned himself with his old hat as Ian stretched next to him and closed his eyes. He enjoyed the peace for the moment, "Don't you wear anything other than black?"

"Black is uh, actually more comfortable than lighter clothing." Ian mumbled, Lana rolled his eyes and looked over the men, keeping an eye on the bushes they were surrounded by, "That's why I wear only gray and black."

"All right Malcolm." Alan took out his knife and began to shave off the mud that clung to his boots, making it lighter by the clump. He dug into the sole trying to get a particularly dried clump of dirt when he caught Ian's reflection in the steel, carefully watching. Ian looked away and shifting legs to stretch, he winced in pain and Alan watched as he shakily grabbed a hold of his leg and pushed it down, "You alright?"

"It's this damn leg. Still acts up, you know, Hammond paid for my surgery-which I am thankful for- but they…they never set the bone completely right or something." Ian gave a small huff of laughter before bending the ruined leg, "Pain in the neck these days."

"Just be thankful you're alive. Gennaro faired worse than you." Alan finished his second boot and handed the knife to Ian to scrape as well, "What Billy said…do you think Muldoon survived?"

"That game warden from Australia?" Ian raised a skeptical eyebrow, "I doubt it. Ellie said he was attacked."

"Ellie never saw him get attacked." Alan finished his water and wiped at the sweat on his forehead. Ian looked up puzzled before Alan shrugged, "We just figured he did, he never came back with us on the chopper."

"Well if he is," Ian stood up as their men shouldered their weapons and motioned for them to follow, "then Angie and Billy are in incredible hands. Who better to lead them through the park than the uh, man who oversaw it?"

"Funny, I remember someone saying something like that when I was with Lex and Tim." Alan scoffed and put his hat on before following after the mathematician.

Alan looked around him as they continued, noting the different plants that had developed on the island since his departure. Lush greens and deep dark browns filled his visions, creating something right out of a fairy tale. He had to admit, this island was incredibly beautiful, kept in perfect shape. Alan moved around a fern, the green leaves curled in on itself as his shoulder brushed against it. He paused before continuing on.

There could be so many new species of plants that had been developed to accommodate to the dinosaurs, maybe the plants that the creatures had been around came back to life. It could be possible, in a sense, after all the dinosaurs began to breed. Alan let his fingers trail over the sticky undersides of the plants as the men began to descend down a hill towards a compound. The pads of his fingers felt like they were experiencing something completely new, like he had never felt anything so crystal clear and alive before. He plucked a leaf and twisted it through his fingers; god Ellie would love this place now. So many new questions and so many new species to observe and record were just waiting, literally at his fingertips, to be explored. This island was full of marvelous creatures and life that sometimes he wished he wasn't so afraid of it.

But Alan knew what this island hid, as well as Ian. They had lived and stared into the jaws of death more than once, they had seen people be taken from their eyes. Ian had nearly lost his girlfriend and his own daughter just two years ago to these islands. Alan let the leaf fall to the ground and crumble beneath his shoes. This island was deadly beautiful. Much like how a Venus fly trap lures their meals in with the sweet smell of flowers, the island lures humans in with the possibilities of being endless; Dinosaurs. The one thing nobody had even thought of creating until Hammond came into the picture.

"Get down!"

Ian pulled Alan down into a crouch as the men cocked their weapons and aimed through the brush; Alan peered through but could see nothing other than the top of the compound they had come across. Alan turned to the man behind him, then to the men behind that one and saw amazement and fear.

"Raptor." Ian voiced, Alan turned around to find Ian handing him a pair of binoculars. He wrapped the string around his wrist and slid through the mud to the front before bringing the device up to his eyes.

Rough, pebbled red and brown skin covered the body of the fiercest predator Alan had come to know. Long, thick snout with tiny beady eyes that matched the equipment in his hands, tough feet with one protruding claw that ticked like high heels when it was on floors, short arms that extended with sharp claws on the end and thick, long tail that could snap a man's neck in half made up the raptor that Alan peered through. Alan handed the binoculars back as his hand began to shake, he had forgotten how much he hated and loved the animal.

"What do we do?" Ian turned to the Lieutenant in charge and the buzz-cut man peered through his scope for a second, "If you-you shoot it the others will come running."

"We wait." Alan interjected, turning to the other two, "Or you can tranq it. Heavily. This is a female so she probably has her young nearby, if you shoot her she'll raise an alarm to the others to come and protect her babies."

"Tranq'ing will shut her up. Got it." the Lieutenant nodded and made signs to the other men, "You two best get out of the way then…I'm a good shot but the others…."

"Come on." Ian tugged Alan up and the crouched under the leaves, moving down to the roof of the compound as the men crept through to get a closer and cleaner shot.

Alan laid on his stomach next to Ian as they slowed their breathing down, watching the raptor tear into the flesh of some animal. Ian wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"Give me a Rex any day over a raptor."

"You weren't the one running away from them." Alan glared before shifting on the hard surface, he looked down as something tugged on his shirt. His heart stopped and he nudged Ian. "Ian…Ian look down."

The roof was made of glass and Alan could see right through it to the research area below them.

Bodies were strewn across the floors had turned a dark black color, something Ingen wasn't known for. Immediately Ian and Alan scooted away from the middle of the roof, ending up on opposite sides as a piece of glass broke off and fell into the bloodshed beneath them. Alan's eyes strained as he searched the

bodies, that same tight gripping fear he had experienced looking down at the young boy clawed its way back into his system. He dimly heard the shots of the tranq's behind him fly from the barrels and stick into the raptors. Ian violently wiped dust from the cracked windows, peering through to look at the bodies as well. Alan relaxed as his eyes scanned over the men again, there wasn't a female.

Alan skimmed over them again, looking for dirty blonde hair that he had grown accustomed to whenever he talked to Billy at the digs.

"Alan!"

Alan looked up in time to hear a crystal clear crack and then Ian was gone. Alan scrambled backwards as the glass cracked to him, shards of it fell into the open space below him.

"Dr. Grant!"

Alan looked behind him and grabbed the hand that was offered, pulling himself onto the solid ground of the hill as the entire skylight caved in and shattered. The Lieutenant walked forward onto the roof carefully and peered down, shining his light in as Alan looked back at where the men were subdoing the raptor.

"Dr. Malcolm? Are you alive down there?" the Lieutenant shouted, Alan carefully walked back over and steadied himself nex to the man, peering inside.

Ian was shaking his clothes from glass in the middle of the shard-circle. He looked up and shielded his eyes from the sun, tossing his own glasses to the side.

"I'm fine! The uh…the body, broke my fall." Ian looked down at his feet, feeling the musky iron-scent of death fill his nostrils. The 'body' he had fallen on was just that, some poor old guy with a long beard. Ian spun in a slow circle, feeling the muscles in his back ache, "Where's the exit?"

"Try the door." Alan shouted down, waving in the direction of the bloodied door. Ian just nodded and bent over as if in exhaustion, "You alright Malcolm?"

"Fine! Just…give me a minute and I'll start looking down…down here." He waved a hand haphazardly around him. Alan nodded and left him to it, turning to walk down the hill with the Lieutenant.

Ian stared at the chaos around him before closing his eyes, willing his stomach contents to stay down. his hands shook as he stumbled to the man closest to him. Turning him over to reveal another aged man. Ian turned over another body, one that looked younger but found a man in his forties. He crouched next to the body and covered his mouth with his hand.

It was either give the benefit of the doubt that Billy and Angela weren't here or continue flipping bodies. Ian looked around, Billy was near Angela's age and these men looked far to…developed, so to speak to be Billy. Ian looked up at the skylight where the sun drifted in, hitting the ground and causing the dust to be visible. He got up and made his way to the door, still holding his hand over his mouth as he climbed the few steps to the door. He pushed and the door completely fell onto the ground in the flashing red hallway.

Stunned, he stood there for a second, allowing it to adjust that he didn't actually do that, the people were probably pounding on it. He stepped into the hallway and jogged the way down, why was the door closed in the first place? Ian stopped to study a half smudged handprint on the wall like someone was using the wall as leverage. He shook his head, must go faster. He jogged the rest of the way out of the compound and shielded his eyes from the sudden onslaught of the sun only to find more carnage and wreckage before him. He stood next to the Lieutenant and watched as Alan ripped open the door of a trailer…that was upside down and completely crushed in the middle.

There were two trailers and one Hummvee that were completely demolished; one half of the humvee was on it's side and the other half…Ian turned in a slow circle, oh. The other half was in a tree. He turned back to see Alan carefully slide into the trailer, he walked up and began climbing up the side to go in as well. The trailer beside this one had been flipped on its side and the other men were looking in it as far as it could go because the back half had been flattened like a pancake.

Ian's feet hit solidly on the ground-roof whatever and he ducked from a hanging backpack on the ground-ceiling of the trailer. Alan was in the back, stepping over broken equipment that looked like a first aid kit. Ian tugged the backpack down and opened it, he stilled and felt his heart slow down. He looked up at Alan as the older man turned back to him, pure confusion and fear in his face.

"Alan…"

"There was only one, one thing that could do this and it's not a raptor." Alan mused, now rifling through the cots that were built into the sides, "Why would they park next to a compound for more than a couple hours? Compounds have food, everything a dinosaur needs…"

"Alan."

"What, Ian?"

"Angela's phone." Ian held up the crushed device in his hands from the bag, "This is Angela's stuff."

Alan stared at it in his hand before taking it and the bag from him, walking around in a slow circle. Alan sat down on a fallen and ripped up chair and held the objects close to his face, inspecting them. Ian steadied himself and watched the older man in silence.

"They could still be alive. We-we haven't found them yet…We haven't even found anything in here that suggests that they were here they…they…"

Alan's head was bent over and his shoulders were hunched and shaking, eyes tightly closed as he hugged the items to his chest. Ian sighed and sat down next to him, leaning forward on his elbows as Alan sobbed to the pack. He had no idea what to say, what could he? He had never lost Kelly when they ran through Nublar, he always had her with him. But now here they were, with no aid of knowing which kid was safe and alive or dead. And as much as he knew Grant hated responsibilities, if Billy was gone too then he'd have that hanging over his head until he died himself. Ian knew Angela though, and if someone as close to her as Billy was died…she wouldn't want to go on alone. She used to say to him, when they were still student and teacher that her biggest fear in life was to be left alone, with no one around her. Ian looked back at Alan to see him wiping his eyes with the back of his hand.

"Alan…I…I don't know what to say. I'm so sorry, but you've gotta believe they made it. Ran into the jungle probably."

Alan remained quiet, stuffing the radio back into the pack and throwing it on his own.

"Alan."

"We'll go into the jungle then. I'm not losing Angela or Billy." Alan stood up, taking slow deep breathes and Ian gave a crooked smile, following the older man through the door and into the sunlight.

Angela was purely Grant's daughter, crying one minute and chewing someone's ass off in the next.

  


 


	13. Sacrifices

I gripped Billy's hand like it was my lifeline. My muscles strained and my chest pounded in vicious beats like a cello's deep resonating string. I could feel the metallic taste of blood in my mouth from the exertion of running and jumping over fallen branches. Leaves of green and vines of brown flew by my face as branches scraped against my bare legs. I could hear Muldoon and Clark sprinting behind us in pain, gasping for breath as we ran from the crushed wreckage behind us. I could feel blood slide down my head, tickling my skin from where I had smacked it on the floor when the Rex flipped the trailer. Billy's hand was slashed and slick with blood, coating our entwined hands in a death grip as we pulled and shoved. His bag bounced on his bag and a sliver of his shirt rode up, I could see where a bruise was beginning to form on his lower back.

I could barely hear any more cries; just the snapping of leaves and twigs beneath our feet as we raced across the soil. The sun pierced through above us and beat down through the tops; I swore for a moment I was in hell.

"Billy!"

Clark shouted suddenly and I slammed into Billy in a jerking stop. We turned around, shoulders and bodies heaving with exhaustion to see where Muldoon had collapsed on the ground with the teenager holding the older man up weakly. Clark's eyes were wide with fear as we ran to the man's side. I sunk to my knees next to the scarred man as Billy wrenched Muldoon's hand away from where it was gripping his side. I froze as blood rose every way and coated his shirt quickly, Muldoon's eyes were screwed shut in pain and he groaned. It was loud and completely quiet at the same time as Billy slung off his pack and searched for something to wrap up the wound. Clark sunk to his knees and stared, watching us work over Muldoon.

"I…I can't…" Muldoon gasped as he attempted to cradle his slowly bleeding side.

"Shut up. Just-just let me see your wound." I sniffed, trying to not cry as I popped open the buttons on his shirt and moved the sticky material away from his skin. I heard a sharp intake of breath either from me or the other two I couldn't tell, I stared down at the gash in his side. Clark heaved up bile and turned away.

We had staggered through the trailer after the flip, dodging the Rex's snout as it dove into the vehicle. Billy had helped me up, everything had been so fuzzy and I could barely remember when he shoved me to the other end of the trailer just as the Rex stepped down on the other side, slowly flattening the vehicle. One of the windows had blown out and Billy pushed me through along with Muldoon, screaming at me through the fog in my head to run to Clark who had taken shelter in the jungle.

I had jumped out, scraping my legs on the glass and smacking into the cold ground before hazily getting up and stumbling in fear to the trees. Billy and Muldoon had jumped at the last moment, the Rex had stepped down again on the side we had occupied which sent the two men propelling through the window like some odd sea-saw. Muldoon must have caught himself on the glass because he had cried out and smashed hard onto the ground before Billy had pulled him up and shoved us into the forest to run.

"I'm fine." Muldoon wheezed as I put pressure on the wound as Billy tore part of his shirt and stretched it, his bright eyes intent and on fire. Muldoon's head fell back and I could feel his muscles spasm beneath my dirty wet-red fingers, "Jus' a cut…you need to go…she'll track my blood…"

"We're not leaving you to die!" I cried, feeling that euphoria of death hang in the air as Muldoon's eyes started to pale. I smacked the side of his face, leaving a smudge of red on his cheek but his eyes grew clearer, "Just…fuck Muldoon, hold on okay?"

"Angie…" Billy spoke up, softly taking my hands off the man's chest so he could wrap the wound as best he could, his eyes were wild as Muldoon's hand gripped my arm in pain. Clark was sobbing quietly, "Angela-"

"No! We're not leaving him!" I repeated as Muldoon looked between us, "You…you just have to get up. Come on Robert, just get up."

"Damnit Angela!" Muldoon spit up blood as I went to lift him up by shouldering his arm, iron fell on my lips and I flinched as his gaze softened, "You need to go! There's…there's an outpost on the trail. It holds equipment-fuck!- climb it and reach the radio tower…"

"I can't leave you." I cried, letting the tears fall now as emotions gripped my heart and tugged, Muldoon gave a harsh laugh, "I can't leave you here."

"Everyone has to make…make sacrifices. This is mine. I should have died in this park…now I can." Muldoon wheezed as Billy helped him sit under a fallen tree that gave him some coverage. I crouched next to him immediately as sobs quietly racked my body, "You need to go."

"No…no, I'm not going to leave someone behind. You matter, we need you Robert…I need you." I shook my head and gripped his shoulders, fuck getting emotional. This man had saved my life in ways I couldn't comprehend, he deserved to live. I loved him in a way he loved the park. Stupidly yet understanding.

"Find your dad, find Ian. Get the bloody hell off this island you hear?" he forced, I watched as he gripped his side in pain, he patted my cheek in comfort before motioning to Billy. I felt Clark pull me away as Muldoon whispered into Billy's ear. Clark's hand slid into mine.

"Something's out here."

"We can't leave him."

"We have to, he even said so." Clark looked over at me as Billy stood up and began making a shield of branches and leaves around the game warden. I stood there, useless and sobbing with tears streaming down my face as Muldoon was shielded from my eyes, he gave a small smirk before Billy placed the last branch over his face.

"Tree, find a high tree." Billy mumbled, walking quickly past us, I felt Clark tug on my hand but I stayed put looking at the cluster of green and brown that formed a barrier between me and Muldoon. I couldn't just-

"Go Angela!" I heard Muldoon cough from behind the camouflage. Billy was there suddenly, arms wrapping around me and tugging me along with him and away from the man who had saved our lives. I sobbed into air and sprinted along Billy and Clark. We just…we just left him there…

* * *

I watched the steady rise and fall of Billy's chest as he laid across my lap, the moonlight shone across his face nearly erasing all expressions of pain he had suffered through. His slashed palm rested against his stomach delicately, a piece of my shirt wrapped it up nicely and the blood had stopped seeping through finally. I shifted in my place, back numb and sore from being in the wide crook of a tree in the most awkward position I could have picked to sit in. I looked around as a crack sounded then Clark appeared besides me, a tired grin on his face as he settled into his own place.

"I told you not to play with it." I rolled my eyes as the kid slipped his dirtied watch back on, "How's your shoulder doing?"

"Considering I climbed down and up a tree? Fantastic." He rolled his shoulder and looked over the tops of the trees, the moonlight shining off his glasses, "Do you think Muldoon's alive?"

"…I don't know, I 'd prefer to think so." I replied, breath quickening as I remembered the details of the gash in the warden's side, "He survived last time remember?"

"Everyone has an ending point is all I'm saying." He shrugged before looking at the blonde head resting on me, "How's Billy?"

"He's fine, you know, there was this time when he and his friends went parachuting and he got caught in the wind and smacked along this rock. I swear to god I thought he had fallen to his death but lucky him. The strap of his backpack had gotten snagged on the ledge of rock…he walked away with a concussion and a bruised back, nothing seems to kill this guy."

"Our luck could run out though." Clark frowned and picked at the cracked dirt on his elbow, "I honestly can't see myself getting out of here alive."

"Yeah well," I shifted again as Billy gave a gentle snore, "We'll just have to see when morning comes around. We stick together Clark, I'm not going to leave you behind."

"…Thanks…" he gave a tight grin before finding his own comfortable position. I sighed and let my hand rest across Billy's chest and let my head rest on the trunk. I closed my eyes and let the soft murmur of the trees lull me to sleep.

* * *

The hissing of static slowly awaked me as sun filtered through my eyes like curtains and I blinked slowly. I was aware of pain digging into my lower back and a chill settling around my body as my mind raced to catch up with me; the Park, being attacked by a tyrannosaur…everyone dying around me-something snapped besides me and I shot up, cringing as a cramp protested in my lower back as I wildly looked around. Billy wasn't here, neither was Clark. They weren't in the tree.

"Billy!" I called out, gripping the grey trunk beneath me as I straddled it, looking down through the branches. I couldn't see anything. I could barely see past the green leaves, "Clark!"

"I'm right here!" Billy's voice laughed behind me and I spun around as he clambered up the tree, a dark streak of mud on his cheekbone as he smiled sheepishly, "Don't be so loud."

I punched his shoulder and he grinned as I attacked him in a hug, not caring about the awkward reach-over as I dug my face into the crook of his neck, inhaling. My body shook and Billy sighed, letting me hug him.

"Don't do that again, I thought something happened to you."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry Angie." He pulled back and held my face, "I promise I won't do it again alright?"

"…yeah, okay. Okay." I nodded and he grinned, I took in a shaky breath, "Where's Clark?"

"Waiting down below, c'mon we gotta get a move on."

I followed him down the tree and we dropped into the ground heavily as Clark got up from his spot on the bottom trunk. I slipped my shoes off and dug out a rock as Billy surveyed the area around us, hands on his hips as he breathed in and out evenly.

"We could go back the way we came from, try to get some stuff from the wreck maybe…"

"We should glide by the road, not go on it." Clark spoke up as I slid my shoe back on, "And I don't know about you guys but I really don't want to go back there."

"I agree, who knows what could be waiting there still."

"Are there any shortcuts?" Clark looked to Billy as the blonde huffed, wiping sweat from his brow.

"This is a jungle Clark, shortcuts get us lost and everything looks the same." He shook his head as we started off through overgrown bushes, "Besides, Muldoon told us to go to the radio tower."

Silence fell over us and I picked at the dried dirt on my arm, crunching over twigs and leaves beneath me as Clark mumbled to himself behind me. Something vibrated with unease inside of me and made my skin crawl; I frowned as I felt my stomach growl. I shivered from the effect and stumbled over a root; Billy raised a dirtied eyebrow and looked over his shoulder to me.

"You alright Angela?"

"I've just got a bad feeling."

"So do I."

"No, about my dad…about Ian. I just, I just feel like something's wrong you know? I mean, we got attacked yesterday. The chances that they got chased are pretty high now, plus, they're on an island they hate 'cause it attacked them."

"You're overthinking this-"

"Billy."

I tugged his arm to stop and we stared at each other, Clark folded his arms and looked away.

"We have to find them Billy, this is my dad and Ian we're talking about." I looked at him and he put his hands up in surrender before sighing, "Please Billy. We left Muldoon, I'm not leaving them too."

"I understand, we'll look for them. Let's just find some shelter first okay? You're dad knows there's storage places down the road, if they're here and they see the wreck they'd know we went for shelter right?" Billy tilted my face up and waited. I nodded reluctantly and he gave a comforting smile, "Great…I hate it when you freak out like this. I like the old man just as much as you do, I wouldn't dare leaving Alan here."

"I bet you would for Ian." I replied, following after him with Clark on our tails, Billy gave a short huff of laughter.

"I'd hesitate."

"Get down!" Clark whispered suddenly; Billy yanked me to the ground as soft chirps and growls echoed around us. I bit my lip as we crawled under a bush, mud and dirt soaking through our skin like melted wax. Clark curled next to me as Billy's eyes flashed left and right. I looked to Clark as I shifted in the mud, hand sliding through the leaves.

"What did you see?"

"A tail."

"What?" Billy looked to him, I could feel him growing uneasy besides me as Clark shook his head.

"I don't know! Either up or to my right. All I know was that it was above my head." He whispered, I looked around again and saw nothing.

"You probably saw-"

A roar sounded out directly above us, there was a rush of air and a giant scaly foot slammed down right in front of us. I screamed as the ground shook, Billy slammed a dirty hand over my mouth as I twisted to get up. The foot shifted, pushing the mud up around its foot and to us.

"Stay down!"

I watched through my dirty hair as the tyrannosaur pounded the ground, swinging its large black green tail around, it opened its wide jaws to bellow at…at something behind us…

There was a large thump; I looked to Billy as he twisted his body to look above us through the bush. His eyes widened and I felt my body jerk in his arms as an unearthly roar filled the air. Billy jerked us to the side. We tumbled in a somersault to get away and I briefly saw a glimpse of Clark's dark hair before an orange-tinged clawed foot come down where we had been.

We rolled to a stop against the bottom of a tree, still hidden by leaves and watched.

This was a new species entirely, a fin travelled along the new tyrannosaur's back and I frowned as the dinosaur turned and twisted to bellow at the grey tyrannosaur. Its snout was long and its teeth stuck out, ragged like a sharks. The ground shook in anger as the new orange carnivore bellowed back.

"Clark! Clark!" I yelled through the bellowing as the two carnivores danced in a slow circle around each other. The bush was torn and crumpled. The possibilities of Clark surviving were few… Billy gritted his teeth behind me as the dinosaur roared, "Oh god…"

They were beautifully dangerous, sharp teeth and heavy tails swinging and glinting in the sun from above. Their bumpy skin tensed and I could feel the potential murder in the air. I couldn't tell if I was shaking or if it was Billy the moment the two carnivores attacked but the thud of the grey tyrannosaur taking down the orange one made me scream again.

"Crawl.. _crawl_!" Billy urged as the orange one whipped up and took a chunk out of the grey carnovre's thigh. Bellows of pain and rage shook the forest.

Twigs and rocks dug into my elbows and knees as I frantically crawled next to Billy. I ducked in fear as a snap of a carnivorous limb sounded throughout the air. I pulled myself up behind a tree as Billy drew closer to where Clark had been. I pressed myself flat against the tree and squeezed my eyes shut.

I could feel the fear all around me, like I was a part of the jungle. The two Kings duked it out and everything else hid in fear.

"Angela!"

I opened my eyes to find Clark peering around his own tree and I blinked in confusion before looking to Billy who was still trying to sort through the crushed bush. Clark spun back around the tree as the orange rex swung its head around to where we were, the tyrannosaur jumped on him instantly. I kneeled and clutched the tree as I reached out for the blonde on the ground.

"Billy!"

Silence zipped around me as my shout echoed, I slapped a hand over my mouth as the two rexes immediately stopped and raised their heads curiously. Billy was completely still on the ground, hands frozen mid-air. He slowly looked over his shoulder to me where I was paused, one arm still outstretched towards him and eyes on the two dinosaurs.

"Shit." Clark cursed under his breath behind me.

"Don't…move…a muscle." I whispered to both of them as Billy slowly curled in on himself and crouched to his knees, the dinosaurs cocked their heads and the orange one thundered towards the fading grey one, bringing it down to the ground with a swift bite into the face and a jerk of the long head. Billy got up as the orange one dug into the neck, " _Billy, stop_!"

The dinosaur looked behind it to us and roared, taking a few thunderous steps forward and the two boys took off like a shot in the other direction. I stared for a moment before sprinting after them. The orange carnivore roared once more before turning and diving back into its fresh kill.

I slammed into Billy's back, making us tumble to the ground in exhaustion. I rolled off of him as my chest heaved, I stared up at the sky as Billy exhaled deeply, a dreamy smile on his face. I slugged his arm, missing and knocking my fist into the dirt.

"When I tell you…to stay put…" I huffed, "You stay put!"

"I got caught up in the moment." He breathlessly laughed before getting up, pulling me with him and turning to the other boy, "You good Clark?"

"Fine…I rolled when you guys rolled." He gave a shaky smile and rubbed at his shoulder, "You two okay?"

"Yeah. Peachy." I looked to Billy and winced before looking down at myself and over to Clark. "It looks like we've been through hell."

Cuts, blossoming bruises, blood and mud caked our skin. Billy's shirt was torn at the neck and the side, Clark's comic short had faded with dirt but his glasses were the only thing that had remained intact. I wasn't much better, my blue button-up had ripped at the sleeve and was untucked from my shirt, I was missing the top two buttons and everything was just fraying from rubbing up against trees and the ground.

"We should keep moving. The raptors will smell the tyrannosaurus which means we don't have much time to find some shelter." I coughed as Billy rearranged the pack on his back.

"To the road?"

"Or close to it," I nodded and he started off, I pulled Clark after me as we made off in the direction of the road. Or at least, where we thought the road was.

The park moved around us restlessly, waiting to see what would happen to us next.


	14. The tower

The main road was clear, had been for the past few hours as we walked along side it. With the few medical supplies Billy had snagged, he had also managed to steal the pack with all the food and two water bottles in it, but none of us were hungry…I also had the tiny fear that the animals would smell the food and come to investigate the new scents.

I looked ahead of us where Clark was slowly walking, kicking up leaves and tossing rocks onto the road to our right. Billy was next to me, a pained expression gracing his usually peaceful features as sweat stung his cuts. I weaved our fingers together, unknown tension filtering out of me at his touch, I let out a relieved sigh and Billy tiredly smiled. He looked tired, I probably looked the same. No sleep, no proper nutrition or showers. God, we were such a mess and it hadn't even been three days…maybe it had, I don't know. I could care less; I just wanted to go home.

"How's it going?" Billy spoke up finally as Clark ripped a leaf in half and crumbled it in his palm. I sighed and leaned against his shoulder for a moment.

"Tired. Can't wait until we get to the building. How're you feeling? You didn't exactly sleep in a good position." I looked up at him as he rubbed his neck unconsciously, he shrugged.

"You make a good enough pillow."

"Gee thanks." I laughed, he grinned and rubbed dirt from around his nose.

Our laughter faded into silence and I looked to the road again, finding nothing tailing us from the other side other than the sun up above. I looked back to where there was a line of sweat going down Clark's shirt.

"What should we do about Clark?" Billy whispered, I frowned.

"What about him? He seems fine despite everything that's happened…which is actually kind of creepy now that I think about it."

"No, I mean after." Billy's eyes darkened for a moment, "He's lost his brother, we all lost Muldoon. The kinds of therapy this kid would have to deal with…"

"We'll just have to cross that bridge when we get there I guess. As long as he's not suicidal I think we're good." I offered after a moment, "He still has family Billy, it's not like he's an orphan."

"Yeah well…his life's not going to be the same after this."

He let it hang there and I watched Clark's sloped shoulders and hanging head. He was right, the kid would repress the memories just like Ian and Alan and Ellie did but overtime the nightmares would start and therapy would be the only option.

Ellie woke up in fits, Alan would hallucinate raptors in the living room and even the grocery store. Ian would wake up and refuse to sleep for three days. Even in the safety of the city in their houses, the dinosaurs still plagued them.

I remember when I first started to sleep with Ian he'd warn me about his fits, they got weird sometimes.

I hade been drifting between sleep and consciousness with the TV buzzing in front of me. Papers and pens littered the coffee table, my report was dimmed on my laptop, that cursor blinking every damn second. I sighed and shifted on the couch, stretching my legs as I tried to find a comfortable position to sleep in. I could just go walk to the bedroom in ten steps but I was warm and content. Besides, I'd just wake up Ian who had just come back from a conference thirty minutes ago, looking wrecked.

I pulled the blanket around me and closed my eyes, letting the softness of everything pull me down…

" _No…no, don't…"_

My eyes snapped open at the pained moan coming from the bed room. I slowly got up, letting the blanket pool on the floor as I padded to the room yawning. My short and t-shirt swished with each tired step and I ran a hand through my tangled hair as I came to the cracked door. I peered around it into the darkness to spot the lump on the bed. I smiled to myself and rolled my eyes nefpre entering and closing the door behind me before walking quietly over to Ian.

He was still in his dress pants which were riding dangerously low on his hips and his glasses were hanging loosely on his nose. I pulled the glasses off, thankful that he had taken the liberty to slip out of his shoes and went to work getting him out of his nicer shirts, knowing he'd bitch about it in the morning. He continued to sleep like the dead as I hung the shirt in the closet, his tanned chest rose and fell evenly and I resisted the urge to reach out and muss up his hair a little from the gel he had placed in it to look presentable at the meeting.

I turned to the bathroom, ready for sleep as well when another pained sound came from behind me.

Ian's head rolled from side to side and I could see his muscles twitch from the soft moonlight that shone through a slit in the window. I frowned and padded back over to him, not daring to touch as he reached out for nothing and turned onto his side, face digging into the pillow. I kneeled on the bed, peering over him as my hair fell in my face.

His hair wasn't still encased in gel, it was his sweat. His curly hair stuck to his forehead as he gritted his teeth in pain from whatever dream he was having.

"Shit!" I cursed, tumbling backwards as Ian's hand suddenly shot out and swung through the air before gripping his leg, the one he had hurt at the Park. I swept the hair out of my face as he cried out in pain, "Ian?"

"Stop-oh god please stop it." he cried, a pained and broken sob ripped from his chest and I though of all the times Ellie woke up screaming from nightmares…but Ian…this was just different.

"Ian? Ian wake up." I placed a head on his sweaty forehead as my heart raced in anticipation and adrenaline. I knew sleepwalkers could react violently if woken up but I had no experience with psychiatric nightmares, I cupped his jaw, "Ian, it's not real! You have to wake up now!"

My knees sunk into the mattress as Ian tossed back onto his side, his long legs kicking into my own and making me tumble onto his side. I scrambled up, my breath quickening as I managed to grip his shoulder and his jaw forcefully. He moaned pitifully, his brows scrunching together. I saw my nails leave small marks and I blinked.

I dug my nails into his shoulder and jerked a little bit, if dream pain couldn't wake him up then real pain would have to do the trick. That saying that went 'pinch yourself if you think you're dreaming' could be useful.

"Ian! Wake up!"

His eyes opened suddenly and I let go of his shoulders, the crescent moons shining brightly against his skin as his dark brown eyes slid back into focus. I sat back on the bed as he slowly sat up, running his shaky hands over his face and exhaling slowly. He shook in fear and exhaustion.

"Are you…alright now?" I asked, knowing it was a dumb question but the silence was killing me, I touched his arm and was relieved to not feel him flinch. He nodded, either to himself or to me, before looking around the room.

"Did I wake you?" his cracked voice as he answered, I smiled softly and ran a hand through his messed up hair.

"I'm pretty sure you woke up the world, I was only half asleep anyway." I got up and went to shut off the TV in the other room as he got up himself, changing out of his slacks and into flannel pants.

I shut the window as well, pulling the blackout curtains over the glass before joining Ian in the bathroom as he splashed cold water on his face. I hopped on the counter and ran fingers through a graying patch of his hair in his sideburns; he shuddered at the touch before knocking my knee to knock it off.

"What was it about this time?" I watched as he rubbed a towel over his face before leaning against the counter, back to the mirror.

"I was…I was running, screaming. Alan was waving at me and then-then the T-Rex…" he shuddered and shifted his stance off his injured leg, "Its jaws got me and I uh, well it swung me back and forth."

"That dream again?"

"Yeahm that one." he looked at me as I kicked my legs out, "Did you at least get your report done?"

"A hundred more words and it's perfect. Will it ever stop?"

"Homework? No."

"No, not that," I shook my head and laughed lightly, bumping our shoulders together, "The dreams, your nightmares."

"Only time will tell." He turned and stood between my legs, bumping out foreheads together, "Chaos in the mind exists for as long as chaos exists on the real world."

"I hate your riddles," I replied, letting my hands roam up from his waist and around his neck. Ian sighed at the touch and sagged against me, "You need sleep, c'mon."

"Angela-"

"Then I need sleep damnit." I rolled my eyes and kissed him softly, he folded in front of me and I pulled him out of the bathroom and to the bed, letting him fall next to me heavily and tangle our legs together.

I buried my face in his neck as he lazily curled my hair around his fingers, no doubt knotting it. Being with Ian was easy; I didn't have to pretend to be someone I wasn't. Being with him was so intense sometimes that I was left speechless and wanting to cry from just so many emotions crossing my mind.

I fell asleep in his arms as Ian laid awake, his thoughts whirling in silent equations as I drifted into my own universe.

I let go of Billy's hand softly as we turned to two medium sized buildings with a rickety bridge-walk connecting the two. The bridge stretched over what looked like holding pens for dinosaurs; obviously there wasn't any on the cages anymore but the thought of standing maybe twenty feet above a velociraptor or a triceratops intrigued me. Billy jogged ahead of Clark and me, ditching his pack as he began climbing the ladder leading to one building; I turned in a circle, taking everything in as Billy monkeyed it over the top.

"Hey look!"

I turned to the left as a small brown scaly head poked through some underbrush some ten feet away, I eyed it and backed Clark up to the ladder as the mysterious dinosaur made a deep hoot-braying sound. Clark shimmied up the ladder a few rungs as the creature shook the bush to get out; I stopped from climbing up myself as the dinosaur finally wriggled out and stumbled onto the road.

A baby stegosaurus sniffed the air like an overgrown, scaly puppy…complete with its tongue sticking out the side of its mouth. I laughed to myself and Clark hopped back onto the ground next to me as the stego wandered over to the cages closest to it. Billy shouted down to us as he peered over, I waved him off as the stego ventured closer, completely oblivious to the two of us as it eyed the man-made objects curiously. Billy slid down the ladder anyways and dropped next to me, instinctively pulling the both os us behind him before turning to the dinosaur.

"Could we pet it?" Clark moved around Billy as the dinosaur finally spotted the three of us and blinked owlishly with its wide, dark eyes. Its tail swung back and forth and I looked around for its parents but saw nothing, "Can we?"

"Let it approach you first." I nodded, feeling Billy relax at the herbivores curious shuffled towards us. The dinosaur brayed as Clark moved too quickly, Billy's hands wrapped around the top of the teen's arm.

"Slowly, Clark."

"I got it, I got it."

The dinosaur turned its nose up as Clark outstretched a shaking hand.

Its snout bumped against his palm and he took a sharp intake of breath before outstretching his hand again, rubbing his hand over the hard flesh. The dinosaur closed its eyes at the contact and Clark released a breath of amazement before moving closer until he was literally right against the stegosaurus. Billy and I moved closer as well, holding our breaths as we touched the dinosaur, it's bumpy skin reminded me of the triceratops when we first landed here. But this stegosaurus was larger, its long plates on its back skimmed the tops of our heads and its head reached my shoulders. Bigger than a baby but smaller than a teen, most likely a 'tween' kind of height…for a dinosaur at least.

"It's so bumpy." Clark smiled as he trailed his hands over it's solid plates, the dinosaur shook and we laughed. I loved the feel of its skin and I swear I could hear something like a purr coming from its throat as we stroked over its neck and stomach. The deep rumbling reminded me of Ian when he woke up in the mornings, voice scratchy with sleep, "I can't believe it. I can't believe this."

"At least it's not eating you." Billy joked, I rolled my eyes and shook my heas as the dinosaur's head turning in my arms so I was cradling the large head. I smiled, forgetting about the dried sweat, blood and tears on my skin, the rocks in my shoes and the gnawing hole in my heart. The dinosaur's eyes fluttered open and I smiled at it.

"Hey there beautiful, you're amazing." I whispered as it shifted from one foot to the other, "Amazing…"

We all looked up suddenly as a louder call sounded from the forest where the stego had come from. The dinosaur answered with a call of its own and Billy pulled back as the sounds of branches being snapped rang in the silence. Billy pushed Clark to the ladder as thuds of feet could be heard.

"Momma's here." He looked to me and I frowned, "This is why you can't go dog shopping; you get attached to them way too easily."

I rolled my eyes and let the dinosaur's head slip out of the cocoon of warmth in my arms, the stego blinked its large eyes again and after a moment of intense staring Billy put his hand on my back and turned me away.

"Stay safe." I whispered under my breath before gripping the ladder rungs and hoisting myself up. I looked back, halfway up to see large, bigger than life stegosaurus adults come forward through the trees and head straight for the tween, bellowing in comfort and relief as the stego clumsily walked to its herd. Billy laughed beneath me and I watched until they were out of sight.

"Alan wasn't lying, they really do move in herds."

Clark pulled me up onto the walkway; I spared one last glance to the disappearing animals before reaching down to help Billy up as well. The steel was cold underneath my feet and I warily eyed the rusty parts of the walkway. The sound of the hatch clicking made me turn my head and Billy threw an arm around my shoulders as we stared at the cage surrounding our heads.

"What do you think this was used for?"

"In case the animals jump up? I don't see much use for protection." I shrugged and reached out, running my fingers over the dome on the sides and above us. Clark pushed past us, walking to the other building.

"Better for us then." He mumbled, Billy frowned before taking my hand and leading us across the way.

"He okay?"

"It's hot, we've been chased by man eating animals…I'd be at the edge of my patience too." I offered, Billy just nodded before staring up at the completely ruined radio tower on the top of the building. Vines and weather had worn down the metal to the point that it was bent in half, "How much do you bet this thing is broken?"

"Muldoon probably didn't even think about this, just figured it'd still be up and running." Billy sighed heavily, dropping the bag to the ground; I eyed Clark as he sat against a wall, closing his eyes. I sat myself against the wall as well and dug into the bag and pulled out some granola bars that were slowly dwindling. Billy turned in a small circle, stretching, "Get the radio out of there, might as well try it."

"…We've got a radio?"

"Muldoon slid it in my hand when we…last time we saw him." Billy shrugged as I took out the small black device and tossed it to him, "I uh, I thought you saw me put it away."

"I didn't. It works though right?" I crowded against Billy's side comfortably as he began messing with the thing, so far nothing but static.

"I'll figure it out, try to get a station that gets across to your dad." He smiled softly at me and bumped our foreheads together, "Get some sleep, I'll wake you when I get some feed."

I fell asleep to the static as Billy's warmth cascaded over me.

When I woke up, it was dead midnight and that eerie buzz of insects and plants rang in my ears. I slowly blinked and stretched my back from the cramped position I had been sleeping in against the wall. I winced, squeezing my eyes shut as a cringe shot through my neck, making me reel back a bit.

"You're awake."

I looked to Billy behind me, he gave a lopsided grin before reaching over and brushing cracked off plaster off my back. I ran my hands through my tangled hair and pulled out clumps of dirt and plaster as well, Billy chuckled and I tossed a piece at him before leaning back against him.

"Did you get any sleep at least?"

"Got a few winks. Been messing with this thing," he held up the radio and passed it over to me, "I got a channel right as you woke up…I don't know if it'll reach your dad but it's worth a shot. I haven't heard anything from it and when I tried it I got nothing."

I took the radio from his hands and looked at it for a second before getting up.

"Don't go far." He called after me as I made my way across the rusty walkway to where I sat myself in the middle with the radio tucked between my knees. I could feel Billy's eyes on my as I held the button to call out. I took a dep breath as I tried to push down the lump in my throat, I had to do this. This could be my only chance…

"Hey dad…it's me Angela."


	15. Radio

"Hey Dad, it's me Angela. I…I don't know if you'll hear this or even get it through without static screwing it up. I guess you can say this is my potential death call, I'm so sorry. I didn't want to cause you this much trouble, you as well Ian. But…I just, I just had to come here, to see what you saw. I know I can't justify it in your eyes. I'm not very sure I can even with words-"

Static.

"-you warned me and I appreciate it-"

Static

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry-"

Static then a wrenching sob.

"I love you dad I love you so much. I know we're not as close as we used to be growing up but I feel like we've connected in ways that even raptors couldn't connect. God, I just…if I die here in this park, just know that I love you. Just because paleontology is a dying art doesn't mean you're useless. You're a great dad, you've been there for me and Joshua when mom wasn't able to be…so just…just keep digging until they have to kill you okay? I love you so much dad, you're the only guy I can trust with anything."

Another sob then a sharp in take of breath before a slow inhale.

"And Ian…Dad, I'm sorry but you have to know. Ian and I are-or were- you know, together. I'm not sure if after this we still will be but don't get mad okay? If anything, blame me, and I know you two mutually hate each other but just let this slide. I know I'm supposed to be your sweet little girl forever but I'm an adult now, I know what I'm doing…somewhat. I'm sorry Ian; if you're listening just know that I didn't want to make you mad. You know I can't sneak around people's backs very well and it killed me doing it to you."

Static.

"-you and your laugh, your dumb jokes and theories I just love you-"

"-give me? The both of you?"

The line cut off before there was a soft click.

"I can't say this to Billy's face, especially since I'm crying right now."

A breathless laugh.

"Tell him I love him, tell him I love everything about him and if things were different I'd probably marry him. I'm sorry he dragged his ass out here after me just to make sure I was safe and that I'm grateful for him…and dad? He looks up to you, go easy on him alright? And take care of Clark, you'll know who he is if you find Billy…you know, if I'm dead and all. He's a good kid, he lost his brother here."

A deep sigh.

"I have to go, Billy's watching me and…just know that if I die and you can't find me just know that I love all of you. Tell mom that no matter how many times we have useless fights that she's still number one. Listen, we're heading towards the beach come morning so I suggest you make your ways down there as well….so…see you guys later I hope."

Click. The line hissed before static sounded out for good.

Alan Grant stared at the yellow black radio on the ground as Ian sat besides him, leaning on the wall of the compound they had shacked up in.

Alan couldn't breathe, a feeling he was slowly getting used to, and he couldn't see past the radio on the ground as his daughters echoing voice rang in his ears. Ian was the first to break the silence with a shuddering sigh; he kicked his leg out and put his head in his hands. Alan tried to swallow around the lump in his throat as he let out a shaky breath of his own.

Shattered, uneasy and…lost.

Alan rubbed a hand over his face and tossed his hat to the ground, watching as dust rose up from the ground and swirled around them. It was just him and Ian now, their entire team had gotten blind sided by an orange tyrannosaurs and they had all ran in different directions. And now…now his daughter had basically said her suicide note over the radio waves. Everything was so…in a better sense, fucked.

"The beach she said?" Ian's voice cracked between them, exhaustion and pain slicing through and Alan nodded, "Alright."

"I'm sorry…" Ala whispered as Ian massaged his bad leg, "You and Angela…I'm glad she has you, you help her and watch over her when I'm not there."

"Alan."

"No…just, I'm glad."

Ian watched him for a moment before nodding and closing his eyes.

"Thank you Alan."

Silence fell over them as they listened to the static, neither one fell asleep.

  


 


	16. Wings in the air

A goat. There was a goat and I was on a farm being annoyed by wildlife for what seemed to be the third time in the many days I had been on this damned farm.

I opened my eyes as the farm cleared from my head; aware of the concrete, dirt and open air. I yawned, noting the breaking dawn on the horizon as I moved in Billy's space. We were huddled against the door of the building underneath the tower, Billy's chest pressed close to my back with our head pillowed on the pack as Clark huddled closer to me, his head on my outstretched arm. I was shivering, all the sweat and mud and humidity from our days here had sunk through my clothes. God, I was so fucking cold. I sighed and tried to sink back into sleep but that loud, gruff bleat sounded out again above us. I looked up.

Fwap. Fwap.

I moved, shifting up so I rested on my arm as I tried to pinpoint where the sound was coming from. The sun hadn't fully risen over the trees yet so I couldn't really see where I was going as I stood up; I ignored Billy's half awake grumble as I stretched my legs. I stumbled as I heard a heavy thump on the ground below us where the hatch was. I frowned and dug through Billy's pack trying not to wake him before digging out a flashlight. I walked back over to the hatch and crouched down, trying not to notice the goose bumps on my arms from the cold.

I opened the hatch and peered down with the weak flashlight trailing over the bars, it flickered and I hit it before whacking it on my thigh. God damn, we should have packed batteries or something.

"Come on." I growled, smacking it again on my thigh, feeling the slight sting, "You piece of-"

SMACK.

I looked above me as the flashlight finally flickered on.

Wide outstretched wings, sharp brown claws and an elongated beak with tiny razor teeth hung outside the barricade above my head. The screeching sound sounded out again and I felt my heart stop for a moment. My god…a real pterodactyl.

I screamed as it reared its head back and dove headfirst right into the rusty iron of the dome barricade.

"Angela?!" Billy shouted, waking up in a scramble along with Billy. I stared as the pteradon in front of me continued to rip its way through the rusty iron, Clark pulled me away from the hatch right as another winged devil tried to come up from the black depths on the hatch. It screeched and Clark began to beat it down with the flashlight, "Kick it both of you! Kick it!"

Clark's heel slammed into the animal, smacking it down back into the hole as I scramble up to help, its teeth scratched against my ankle and I winced before Clark and I jumped on top of the hatch, closing it with a slam.

"Angela!" Clark cried warningly, looking up as the other pteradon managed to slip a wing through the small hole it had created. I took the flashlight from Clark and swung blindly above me, missing the animal.

I swung the flashlight again, watching as the ptera evaded the heavy object and began tearing furiously into the wires with its claws and feet screeching and screaming at me as metal bits rained down. Billy cried out as the ptera slipped its wide wing through and blindsided me with a long sweep. The flashlight shot away from me and I was wind blown to the ground. My ears rang as I pushed myself up and turned to see Billy and Clark barely duck out of the way and come to a stop besides me.

"Billy! Look!" Clark pointed to the triangular shapes above us as I stood up; they seemed to just pop out of the sky as angry screeches filled the air, " _Fuck_! There's no way out!"

"The glass." Billy turned and looked across the walkway where the other building was; a glass basement-looking panel shone like a beacon to us…granted we don't fall into a nest of some animal inside, "We can slid in, it's our only way."

"I can't…" Clark was pale and breathing fast.

"Grab my hand. Billy I swear to God you better be behind me." I took the teenager's hand, feeling our renewed energies zap back and forth as the pterodactyls cawed and began racking against the metal. Billy's eyes followed the dinosaurs above us before nodding.

There was a thump and we slowly turned around. The pteradon had broken through the wire and had landed on the walkway, staring at us with tiny beady eyes.

Clark yelled and we jolted forward, sprinting over the rickety walkway. We'd have to jump to make it to the other building, the gaping hole was big but with our speed we could make it. Clark huffed next to me and I could hear Billy's sneakers smacking the metal behind me as the animals flew around us in a frenzied hunger.

"Go!"

I let go of Clark's hand and the teenager quickly sprinted ahead of me, jumping at the last second before landing hard on the other side of the gap, legs crumpling beneath him as he shielded himself. He rolled to safety next to the basement window and began kicking and pounding at it in earnest.

The euphoria of dinosaurs and fear mixed into my adrenaline as Billy and I broke free into the few feet of dome-less protection and I counted my seconds as the gap came closer. The powerful fwap of the dinosaur's wings made me stumble and lose my momentum. I launched myself over the hole at the last second, I tried not to close my eyes.

My palms smacked onto the walkway and I slid backwards over the edge, I screamed in pain as stray bits of metal dug into my chest as I continued to slip. Pteradons swooped around me as Clark crawled to me, I hung onto the edge of a sharp gate and squeezed my eyes shut as I struggled for a better grip. My legs swung beneath me wildly and I cried out as a wing suddenly pummeled into my side before gliding away.

"Angela! Grab my hand!" Clark reached down and I grabbed it tightly, swinging my legs beneath me as he helped pull. Billy had stopped running when I jumped and was now banging on the sides of the gates while swinging at the pterodactyl walking towards him…I'm so going to kill him for doing that. I swung again and gritted my teeth as loose wires dug in and scratched my stomach but I was alive and the pterodactyls were distracted. Clark hauled me over the edge and into safety and I looked back just in time to see a pterodactyl snag Billy's bag and rip it from his shoulder, Billy flailed and the dinosaur released him; I felt my stomach turn over in terror.

"Billy, come on!" Clark yelled as I began to kick in the basement window where Clark had started, I turned back and ducked as a pterodactyl landed above me on the dome. My foot smacked once more and the glass shattered, I knocked the stray pieces away before grabbing Clark and shoving him through, "But Billy-"

"Just go!" I pushed him through and jumped as Billy suddenly appeared next to me holding his side, "How-"

"Hurry." He wheezed, we shared a look before he nodded and I squeezed through the panel with him right behind me as we entered the dark crawlspace. The dinosaurs continued to scream outside.

It was dusty and muggy inside the crawlspace and I coughed up a lung before Billy pulled me forward. God, we couldn't see a thing and the only things I heard were the screams from outside and the rough scratches of our clothes on the dusty concrete...or whatever we were crawling on.

"Where the hell are we?" Billy coughed as we crawled forward more, I was just about to answer when my elbow suddenly met air and I pitched forward headfirst, "Angela!"

My body stung as I hit the floor after a few seconds, I groaned and rolled onto my stomach as my elbows tingled from the solid impact.

"The drop comes on you fast."

I looked up to see Clark shining the flashlight straight in my face with a grin as Billy dropped the ground besides me like a cat. I flipped him off and sat up, holding my arm. The lights shone on us as Clark tossed his cracked glasses to the side.

"You couldn't have used that to show us where we were? Or smack open the glass?" Billy questioned.

"I was finding the damn thing when you two  _dropped_  in." he snickered, we rolled our eyes.

"At least they can't get us here." I interjected as I stuck by Billy, "So shut it."

The cries could still be heard from the window and we looked around us as Clark gave the flashlight to Billy and stood next to me.

"Where are we?"

"A basement maybe even a storage…who knows?" Billy shrugged as he shone the light around us in a wide arc as we moved quickly. Boxes and things had deteriorated but I could see some tables sticking out from a wayward vine and the occasional broken-in door. The air was fogged with dust and pollen from the hidden exotic flowers and plants.

We entered a room that looked like some office, Clark helped me sit down on an overturned copying machine and I flinched as my ankle throbbed while Billy searched the room.

"Is this really any better? Clark mumbled as Billy came back in, wiping grimy sweat off his forehead, "Now we're basically stuck in a cubicle."

"If you want to go back out there then you can, I'm not stopping you." Billy responded as he pulled the door close and shoved a filing cabinet against the door, "Help me with her."

"I'm fine."

They ignored me and Billy picked me up, walking into the adjoining office and setting me down on the cracked wooden table; Clark hovered outside the doorway, eyes dark as I wrapped my ankle in a tight hold with my bandana. Billy grinned at me as I cringed when the dirt seeped into microscopic cuts.

"You need to stop getting hurt."

"By all means, you go first next time." I poked at the bandana, relieved to not feel anything. I looked around the dusty room, "What now?"

"I don't know…" Billy looked to me then to Clark who only huffed and walked into the other room. Billy and I shared a look before he walked over to stand in front of me, "So…you think he's still okay?"

"Give him time." I sighed and Billy leaned forward against me, I closed my eyes for a moment and sunk into his chest. My muscles ached and my entire body felt like it had been shattered and taped back together by someone who was blind. Billy kissed my forehead

We stood together, hearts beating in unison as I tried to focus on a new plan. This was the plan though, just staying alive and keeping our hearts beating. I needed to focus only on Billy and Clark, they were my responsibility and…god, everything was just so intense now. It was like my emotions had been strung out to the point of being fried forever. Fuck, I didn't even know pterodactyls were completely carnivorous….screwLand Before Time and Petey for allowing me to believe they were all-out herbivores.

I must have said something out loud because Billy laughed and let go of me, his hands cupped my face and he looked straight through me…for the first time since we came here, I could see myself in the reflection of his eyes.

"Hey…we're going to get through this alright? We're going to get out, find Ian and your dad then get the hell off this island." He laughed softly and I nodded, "Good, I promise I won't leave you."

"Got it." I kicked his calf as he brushed hair away from my face, I let my eyes close. God, I was so tired.

"…but I will leave you to go find Clark." He smiled and gave me another kiss before slowly slinking away through the door and under the cabinet. I shook my head and smiled, busying myself with cleaning the dirt and grime off my skin and clothes.

You'd think with all the running, mud, rolling and climbing on trees we would have broken something by now, but nope all we get is disgusting body odor and dirty hair…I wouldn't say I'm not grateful but I'd take a broken leg over smelling like shit any day.

I looked around the room as I tried to hear for Billy and Clark, it was probably a really nice office back before the dinosaurs started to murder everyone. I sighed and leaned back on the desk, stretching out my back with loud pops.

After the radio call to my dad, the radio had cut out either from dead batteries or it was just dead. Phoneless, nearing complete exhaustion and dwindling food rations…we probably wouldn't survive another couple days…unless we find Alan and Ian soon…Billy had been kind of right though, about heading to the beach at least. Ian would head towards the warehouses for cover and Alan would head towards the water knowing that if anything, he could at least swim to something. They survived once, I knew they'd come out again. Muldoon as well, we had hidden him pretty well so he could still be alive.

When Mark was still in the military he'd always tell me, "no matter what, you never leave anyone behind. You could have bullets shooting at you or a lion on your back, never leave you're men or women behind." I'd always respond with a shrug and an okay. One time I had asked why, he said 'everyone matters.'

I sat up and rubbed my neck…they could survive but I'm not so sure I could. I'd make them leave me behind to escape with their own life, especially Clark; he had so much potential especially with this experience.

I swung my legs over the edge of the desk as I heard a bang down the hall. I slid off, limping to the door and underneath the small space of the filing cabinet. I covered my mouth as I was hit with dust and pulled my shirt up to cover my mouth; I kept close to the wall as I moved down the corridor.

"Billy? Clark?" I whispered loudly.

I looked over my shoulder feeling paranoia creep up my back; I shook it off and limped over debris, I peered into an open room where the sound had come from. It was a mess, like the other rooms and there was a hole in the roof where it looked like wires and ducts went through. I leaned against the doorway and covered my mouth again, looking around and behind me, I was just about to turn and walk away when I spotted a ratty t-shirt and dirty blonde hair underneath what looked like to be a table.

I fell to my knees next to Billy as he wheezed in and out of his mouth, hands trying to push the table off of him. Dust clung to his body and I groaned trying to help him push the table off.

"You know when I said…get hurt more instead of me I didn't mean it." I huffed, shoving the table away from him with a loud crash and he laughed but stopped in pain, "I told you to be careful, what happened?"

He leaned on me, gripping his side as we moved towards the entrance.

"I thought I saw Clark climb up- _shit_ , this hurts…" he buckled as we began down the hallway, nearly bringing both of us down, "Sorry. Sorry."

"What's-"

"I was standing on the table trying to jump up into the ceiling when it gave away. I banged my…my ribs on the side, I'm pretty sure I broke a few." He hissed through his teeth as we ducked under the cabinet into our own hideaway, "That damn kid."

"C'mon." I shouldered his weight as I closed the door and led him into the office, he sat down on the table as I dug around in his ripped up bag, there was a dirtied roll of tape but if he was cut then there'd be serious infections later. I looked back up at him as he agonizingly took off his shirt, dark purple bruises had already formed and he was breathing very unevenly, "Billy…Billy I don't know how to do this."

"Use the tape and wrap my sides, tight…it should help lessen the chances of the bones cutting into me, if they're hairline fractured then it should keep it from expanding to much and breaking off in pieces." He held his side and tried to even out his breaths, he gave a pained smile, "Well come on."

He moved as I unraveled the rape, my fingers ghosted over his skin for cuts and was relieved to find none. I wove the tape around him carefully, each time pulling it tighter and tighter as his chest rose and fell easier. He had to have broken at least two of them, I've broken my ribs before and I had barely even known. This probably wouldn't even work, hell I  _knew_  it wouldn't work in the long run but if it meant Billy not bleeding internally then hey, props to the medical tape.

"You…you remember when we first made out?" he grinned and I raised an eyebrow, his eyes were glazed over.

"I remember you coming into my room half naked and claiming you needed a shower, then you jumped on my bed and attacked me." I wrapped the gauze in a tight knot and then gripped his face, peering at his eyes, "You're pain endorphins are kicking in."

"What?"

"Think of it as your personal dose of morphine from your body." I released his face and shook my head.

"Did I really attack you?"

"…okay you  _rolled_  onto my bed before kissing me but I saw it as a form of attack." I helped him get his shirt back on then get off the table and onto the ground, "Why?"

"This…Ian thing-"

"Billy we've already-"

"You know how I am Angie." He interrupted as he relaxed and watched as I flipped the table onto its side and pulled until it trapped us in the corner like a really bad fort, "Please…"

I sighed before curling up against his side and letting him wrap and arm around my shoulders, he sighed and I could hear his heartbeat.

"I don't know Billy…I want to just play it by ear right now you know? I can't say I don't, you know, still love you 'cause I do. But what Ian and I have, I don't know id I can just walk away from it. He's twice my age I know and a jerk sometimes but…I just can't explain it right now."

"But does he love you?"

I frowned and shivered as goose-bumps spread through my body from the cold. Ian loved me, if he didn't then we wouldn't even be together…right? He protected me as much as he could from the bad things in life like this island so he must love me. This…this relationship didn't just exist upon the fact that JurassicPark, Alan and Ellie were connected to all of us. Technically our first kiss was in the backseat of his car after he took me to dinner the first time…

"Angela?" Billy's soft voice broke through my thoughts and I sighed again.

"Yeah, yeah of course he does." I broke away from him, feeling cold all of a sudden, "I should go look for Clark."

"No, if you get hurt I'm in no shape to help either of you. Besides, if Clark really climbed through the hole in the ceiling he's safer than both of us down here. We both need some rest."

He protested before shifting to lay on his back, head pillowed by the ratty backpack and I relented, tucking myself carefully against his side.

"You think my dad's close?" I whispered after a few minutes, Billy's eyes were closed but he nodded.

"He'd fight through hell to get you." He yawned and relaxed into the ground. I closed my own eyes and felt sleep pulling me in like a lullaby.

Outside, every creature was waking up.


	17. Reunion

I woke up slowly, noticing the late afternoon sun soaking through the building as I yawned and stretched my cramped limbs. The dirty floor was cold but my thin clothes somehow made it bearable, plus Billy's furnace body was like a miracle next to me. I sat up, pushing away from him and slowly pushing the table away from us, god I'd kill for a toothbrush.

Billy moved behind me and I frowned as his cheeks turned red. Fever no doubt, I took off the bandana I had around my ankle and wiped sweat off his forehead. It wasn't much but it was something. If the bacteria from this place got into our cuts we'd be done for…which makes me question why we haven't died already. I looked down at my own bruises and cuts, I was a bit worse for wear compared to Billy but I think he'd suffered worse than me. Billy rarely got sick though, he inhaled dirt and fossils on a daily basis so his immune system should be great…I'm surprised he and Alan are able to breath in clean air.

I looked around the table as something chirped outside the walls, still no Clark. I looked to the door and found no footprints in the dust other than mine and Billy's. We couldn't leave the kid here, no matter where he was. I stood up and pushed the table back to protect Billy's body before making my way to the cabinet and door.

I looked to the table again before opening the door and ducking under the cabinet, walking into the dusty hallway. I made my way back to the room I had found Billy in, noticing that my limp had gotten better and my muscles strained less. Either I was slowly deteriorating without me noticing or I was getting used to the pain…I liked the latter better.

I entered the room, looking up at the hole in the ceiling then back to the desk Billy had been under, there was no way a teenager, much less Billy, could have jumped those few feet onto the ceiling ledge. I blew out a breath and picked up a metal pipe as I looked around, knocking some dusty boxes to the floor. Clark _had_  to be in the building still, he was a smart kid so he should've known not to venture farther away from us.

There was a clang and I turned around, another sound echoed around and I frowned before moving back into the hallway, pipe raised in my hand. I peered around the corner as I saw a shadow move further down the hall that opened up into a lobby area. With my heart pounding in my ears and my breath coming cold and shirt like ice, I pressed myself against the wall and moved. I focused on the pattering of feet and the occasional clang as the animal, assumingly, walked around. If it was Clark I'd just knock him out for ditching us and if it was something else…I'd either run or just start swinging.

I turned the corner and crouched, eyes sweeping the over grown lobby before settling on the creature that had made the noises.

A pterodactyl had gotten in, somehow, its tan body threw another shadow against the walls and I breathed slowly. From afar, when the things weren't trying to kill me, it was a very beautiful animal. A long snout and pointed head with wings larger than anything I've ever seen yet so thin and delicate…if its face was smashed I could almost pretend it was some naked bat.

But god damn I was so angry, angry that I had faced death more than twice at the hands of these creatures and angry that I had survived but people had died around me. I watched the animal poke around in an overturned cabinet and I quietly stood up, moving to the grumbling creature. Red. Blood red sparks flashed behind my eyes as the pteradon still as I came to stand behind it.

Metal against bone, the crack of the two collisions sounded like and elbow being snapped in half. The forced tossed the dinosaurs head sideways, it yelped in surprise and pain as I swung blindly again. I felt sick and tears filled my eyes as I attacked the dinosaur. It's like I wasn't even in my body anymore, it was like I was just watching.

I cried out in anger as the dinosaur regained its footing and went to swipe at me; I kicked at its head and stepped in the broken wing. The thin flesh stretched beneath my shoes and the creature yelped, shattering my ear drums. Prehistoric, fake blood littered my clothes as I swung down again towering over the creature.

"This is for fucking up my life and everyone else's!" I screamed, punctuating every sentence with a swing, "you killed my friends! You screwed up our lives!"

The dinosaur yelped weakly and I swung down one more time, screaming out until my throat hurt. I sobbed, tears falling down my face as I stood, hunched over the body. The pipe slowly fell from my fingers and clanged onto the floor like glass shattering. I counted to ten in an effort to calm down as the pteradon sunk into the ground. I stepped away from the creature, shoulders screaming from my efforts. I looked up at the hallway to find Billy, wide eyed s he stared at me. His hair was a mess and the backpack hung from his shoulder. He remained perfectly still, balancing on his good side.

"Billy…" I looked back at him, that hole in my heart squeezing as I tasted foreign blood on my lips. Billy's eyes flickered behind me and I turned slowly, fingers itching for a weapon.

My heart snapped.

My breath cut off.

I stared, body thrumming.

"Angela?" Alan's voice cracked from across the room, I felt more tears stream down my face as he slowly crossed the room in dirtied clothing, "Oh, Angie."

He was real…he was real my dad was here and he was real…

"Dad!"

I ran to him, ignoring the pain in my body as I jumped into his arms and squeezed my arms around him. He laughed breathlessly and brokenly in disbelief as we hugged each other. I sobbed into his shoulder as relief swept through my entire body. I smiled as that hole in my heart tugged close, his arms tightened around me and shit, I couldn't keep track of my emotions. All I knew is that Alan was alive, we were both alive and hugging each other to the point of pain. Alan sobbed into my hair as we pulled away, he cradled my face and I smiled through my tears.

"I'm so happy you're safe, I should have protected you better honey-"

"I'm so sorry, I should have listened-"

"-then you radio us and I thought you had died-"

"Billy took care of me and-"

"-didn't know what to think anymore. I love you so much Angela-"

"I'm so sorry Dad, I'm so sorry-"

We cut each other off in rushes before Alan pulled me back in for a hug, slowly rocking back and forth as we calmed down. I hung onto him, letting his presence and warmth filter around me.

"Dr. Grant."

We pulled away as Billy limped forward to us, a relieved smile spreading across his face. Alan kept an arm around me as Billy stopped in front of us; he ran a hand through his hair nervously.

"Listen, Dr. Grant I know-"

"You don't know Billy."

"What?"

"You don't know how happy I am to see both of you alive. What you did was stupid but you both know that…I'm grateful you care about Angela." He held out his hand to Billy, "Thank you. You kept her safe."

Billy grinned and knocked his hand away before giving Alan a brief hug. Alan laughed and gripped Billy's shoulder as I wiped away the rest of my tears.

"No use getting all emotional." Alan sniffed, wiping his own eyes as well. Billy did the same, "So there are three of you?"

"How'd you-"

"Angela."

I turned around at the voice, heart picking up pace as a tall, dark haired man came into the room. He moved towards me like he was in a trance, his black shirt was torn and I swore I could hear the gears in his brain whirring trying to make sense of everything, I know I was. Ian laughed in disbelief, a beautiful smile gracing his lips.

"Angela, you-you're alive..."

"Ian!"

I ran over to him and he enveloped me in a tight hug. The tears fell again in happiness as he whispered nonsense into my ear, keeping me close. This was relief, tension drained from my body and melted into the floors. I looked up as we pulled away; he swallowed and ran a hand through my hair.

"I'm here, Ian. I'm alive."

"You're-"

"Alive, and so are you." I smiled and kissed his cheek. He laughed against me and pulled me closer, chocolate eyes coming back to life.

"If you ever do this to me again…I swear I'll feed you to the animals myself."

"Duly noted." I smiled and he shook his head with a smile, I could hear Billy and Alan shifting uncomfortably behind us.

"Well now that the bloody reunion is over, can we get on?"

I frowned and turned to look behind Ian and I swear I could hear my jaw drop to the floor along with Billy's. I couldn't fucking believe it.

Muldoon grinned cockily, leaning against Clark as the younger teen gave a bashful grin when we locked eyes. I moved from Ian, feeling his hand linger on my back as the game warden looked at me with clear eyes.

"Hey Angela, Billy."

"You're alive?" I stared at him, looking at the darkened stain on his shirt before going to him, "I should punch you for…for…"

"You're dad and Ian weren't too far behind us. a couple hours after you left they came stumbling past." Muldoon shifted, gaining more breath to speak before nodding to Clark, "Then this little shit found us this morning climbin' around on top like he was some monkey."

"We had seen the pterodactyls and took refuge in the storage outside." Alan filled in as I gave Muldoon a gentle hug.

"You little runaway." Billy mused, glaring at the teen as Clark helped Muldoon sit down. Clark almost blushed, "You know I broke my side trying to get you."

"I'm glad you did, we owe you." I kissed the teen's cheek and hugged him, sending a glare to Billy as the teen laughed and held on. I looked back to Muldoon and Alan and Ian, "…when did you guys touch down? If you weren't far behind us then…"

"Let's just say the wreckage was fresh." Ian spoke up, folding his arms and leaning against a wall, "We were, uh,  _chased_  out by raptors and a rex."

"…yeah well, I'm sure you lost those extra pounds you got from eating girl-scout cookies." I grinned at him and the chaotition shook his head. I turned to see Alan and Billy sitting down against machines along with Clark.

I sat down next to Ian, flinging my legs out as my muscles finally relaxed. All this emotional and physical stress weighed down on my shoulders. I watched a tired look pass over Ian's eyes as he brought me closer to his side. I leaned more into his warmth.

"I'm glad you're okay." He whispered, I nodded as Bill sent me a look before looking down at his lap then away. I pulled back slightly, something twisting in my gut, "You uh…you  _are_  okay right?"

"I'll be happier when we're off this island." I shook my head and closed my eyes, "How were you guys?"

"I'll tell you tomorrow Angela, go to sleep."

I dozed against Ian's side, his black shirt stuck to my scratched skin like velvet. I was supposed to be one step closer to home…but it felt like I had taken a step back instead.

Alan watched Angela sleep against Ian's side; her legs sprawled in his lap and her head on his chest. He smiled to himself and looked down at his own lap where his frayed hat was. Everyone knocked out to sleep an hour ago, even the hyped up teenage kid that had found them all.

"She's a tough kid Alan." Muldoon spoke up, bringing Alan out of his thoughts as Billy snored on the floor next to him and moved when Alan nudged him. Damn kid never seemed to stop snoring, "And she knows her lesson."

"We're not out of the woods yet." Alan responded, eyeing Ian's arm around Angela's shoulder and wondering what would happen if he moved it. He understood Ian, but it still didn't mean he fully approved, "I'm just relieved we have them all back. The new addition though, could change things up a bit."

Alan nodded to the teen in the middle of their odd oval shape they had all formed. Alan shook his head and sighed, leaning his head back and trying to get to sleep. It was true; they weren't even close to being out of the woods…a good twenty to forty miles away to be exact.

* * *

Ian woke up to something soft nudging against his bruised side, his ribs groaned in protest as the-the person, apparently, moved again before laying still. He rubbed his eyes before looking down to the mop of black hair sleeping across his lap. He smiled to himself and tilted his head back on the wall, letting relief and calm wash back over him. That's right, they had come across them just several hours ago…she was safe, Angela was safe.

Ian brushed his fingers through her hair, basking in the moment before chaos found them all again. First the body, then the raptors then the t-rex chase and the stegosaurus stomp…either he was getting older than he thought or he was out of shape. I an looked around at everyone and caught Alan's eye and dropped his hand away from Angela's head as the paleontologist cleaned the brim of his hat. Alan had a far away gaze as he stared at Angela as she slept. Ian shifted, he could relate he supposed. He had that same look on his face when he had rushed into the lobby to find Angela hugging her father. Astonishment, relief and anger…lots of anger but relief won out.

After this he'd give her the worst lecture she could have ever imagined…after this, if they both survived…he wasn't sure about the two of them anymore, not after a stunt like this. She knew damn well what would have happened if she had told him she was coming here but the fact she went behind his back and  _still_  went…Ian rubbed his eyes again, they'd cross that bridge when they got there.

"You ever wonder what would be different if we refused Hammond to join him?" Alan spoke up, sticking his hat back on his head, Ian shrugged.

"Probably be the idiots jumping the gun to get here,"

"I wondered if she'd still be interested in paleontology." Alan's rough voice stuttered as he moved to a different sitting position, "If she would still be interested in dirt and bones."

"We can't change the past Alan, even if Hammond invented a-uh, a time machine."

"It'd be chaos, I know I know." He grimaced before kicking Billy in the leg and getting to his feet slowly.

"Wha-?" Billy shot up, eyes bleary and fuzzy as his mind raced to catch up with him.

"Time to get moving." Alan nudged him again before going to wake the others; Billy rolled his eyes and stretched across the ground. Ian shook Angela softly.

"'m tired, go away." She mumbled, sitting up anyways and pulling her knees to her chest, letting her head drop.

"We've got to uh, we've got to get moving." He laughed softly and pressed a kiss to her forehead, "Come on Angela, up."

She glared up at him through dirty hair and tired eyes as he stood up, joints popping and muscles straining as he stretched his arms above his head.

Clark was helping Muldoon up and Alan was inspecting Billy's purple-bruised side, Ian winced as Billy let a soft pained whimper escape his lips. The kid broke a couple ribs. Ian exhaled and studied the young blonde as he complained about Alan's doctor techniques which got him a swat in the back of the head. So this was the infamous Billy Brennan, the boy Alan wanted Angela to be with. He was young, smart and someone Ian could actually picture Angela being with and being happy…Ian frowned, a thought now weighing on his mind.

"Crap!"

He turned to find Angela gingerly touching her ankle as she leaned against the wall, he knelt down quickly, noticing the tightly woven bandana. He raised an eyebrow and she smiled sheepishly.

"It was getting better yesterday I swear. I don't know what's wrong with it now."

"Sprained or broken?" He unwrapped the bandana, trying not to go off on a lecture as she bit the inside of her cheek in pain, "Angela?"

"Crap-I don't know! We just dropped, I rolled and it hurt."

"All right. Just uh, just elevate your leg for a minute while I…" Ian looked around, "…while I get something."

He grabbed some of the new gauze wrap besides Alan and returned, watching her ankle shake as he wrapped it again. There was nothing he could do now, whenever they reach inland though he'd kill anyone who didn't help her. Alan was the only one who wasn't relatively broken; Angela had her ankle, Billy had his ribs, Muldoon and his gash…that Clark kid just looked devoid of all emotion and he himself had his bad leg screwing up every time they ran.

"Just so everyone's on the same level," Muldoon spoke up, "the migration patterns of the raptors have changed so the only way to the beach is through one."

"What?" Billy looked to the warden and Ian sighed as he helped Angela walk forward, "That's ridiculous! As if avoiding them isn't hard enough now you want us to  _walk through_  their  _nesting_  grounds?"

"These are new forms of velociraptors, Billy Brennan. They're faster and stronger than the…standard, issued raptors we once raised here."

"Or  _tried_  to raise." Ian muttered, Angela nudged his chest and rolled her eyes, "The last times we were uh, here Billy, the dinosaurs evolved through lysine beans and switched genders through the frog DNA you 'brilliant' scientists shoved in." Ian shot a look to Muldoon before turning back to the young blonde, "This isn't really a big surprise, or it shouldn't be."

"This is bullshit Alan, if we walk through-"

"I know Billy, I know." Alan held up his hand to quiet him down before looking at each of them with that 'Alan Grant is thinking of a plan and is thinking very hard about it' look. A look Ian himself had seen when they had first dropped down on this island, "You said something about a radio station near the lighthouse on the other end."

"Flip the power and it should turn on." Muldoon nodded and Alan ran a hand over his mouth. Angela bit her lip, eyebrows furrowing in concentration. Ian watched as she and Billy locked eyes, a telepathic communication sparking between them.

"I say we go but take the long way." She spoke up, Alan's eyes flashed to her, "I'd rather take an extra couple hours or a day then risk the chance of losing one more person."

"Assuming we don't run into any uh, trouble going the long way as well." Ian looked to her and her brown eyes hardened in stubbornness, "…but I agree."

"The long coastline it is." Muldoon grunted and limped towards the barricaded door, "Let's get going then."

Ian pulled Angela after Alan and Muldoon, ignoring the jabs of pain in his leg as they began to file down the stairs, the others close behind.

"I still can't believe you did this." Ian looked to her and Angela raised an eyebrow as they jogged to the door that led to the outside world.

"Well you obviously wouldn't have just  _let_  me go. You have a habit of doing that."

"Habit of-of doing  _what_  exactly?"

"Preventing people from doing things." She hopped over a branch as they followed the game warden into the forest.

"Okay that… _that_  is false. I prevent y-you girls from going to certain death. You  _also_  have a need to do things on impulse."

"I'm still alive."

"Yeah, just barely. say that when we're safe." Ian mumbled as they broke into the trees.

Ian kept their hands tightly woven, briefly reminding himself how he never let go of Kelly when they had been at the park. Alan looked over his shoulder every once in a while, like he was scared that they would disappear. He could hear Billy and Clark timing their breath at their medium jog, for being nearly gutted Muldoon was moving pretty quickly.

It didn't take long, thirty minutes at least to reach the cliff that led down into a valley. Ian blinked as they shuffled to a stop, staring at the wide valley that spread off beneath them, he couldn't see past the cluster of trees that were in bunches but he could spot a shimmer of a lake down below. If not for the fear, it would have been a luscious scene.

"Never saw this on the tour." He muttered, stopping besides Alan as Angela shielded her eyes from the sun, "This is where the uh, the new raptors are?"

"I'm not liking it so far." Billy spoke up, "What's the building used for?"

He pointed and they all looked to the far off building on the other side of the valley, Ian could dimly see a lighthouse on the far right side.

"Supply ships, tourist scenery. It was just built for nothing really." Muldoon clutched his side, "The raptor's nest is in a wide circle in the middle, if we all go around we can make it."

"This is ridiculous." Billy interrupted, Angela looked to him as the blonde got up in Alan and Muldoon's space, "Alan, you know raptor's travel in packs. If this is a pack, and a big pack at that, then there are packs within packs. It'd make sense for one of us to just go ahead as fast as they could instead of all of us at once. It'd be faster and easier you know that."

Alan stared at him thoughtfully, Ian watched as Angela pulled away from him to shove at Billy's shoulder.

"Hell no you aren't! You were just fucking arguing about that exact plan being a horrible idea!"

"Angela-"

"You're not leaving us! It's a fucking suicide mission Billy! What the hell are you thinking? You can't just run in there alone, expecting the raptors to just let you pass!"

"If we stick together, there's a greater chance one of us won't make it."

"You won't make it if you're alone. Don't bail on me now Billy, please." Angela gripped the front of his shirt, getting closer to him. Billy put his hands on her shoulder and Ian felt hot, green fire burn through his veins.

"I say we go around still, but Billy's right. It'd be easier for one guy to go ahead and-and reach the lighthouse then call for help." Ian offered, he felt Angela's eyes flash to him threateningly, "Unless we all go separately which-"

"Is out of the question." Alan finished, "It would take longer but at least we'd be alive, Billy."

"I'm the fastest one Alan, I can do this." Billy's voice left no room to argue. Angela let out an exasperated noise, anger and fear flushing across her face.

"Dad, you can't just let Billy go…Ian? Help me here, please."

Ian felt the guilt rise, felt that emotion whenever he knew he was wrong but he had to prove he was right. A conviction he often had with Sarah strangely. He sighed.

"If Billy…Muldoon, what're his chances of making it through?" he replied, refusing to take part in the growing debate.

"I'd say slim to none."

Angela spun back to the blonde.

"See? Billy I-"

A roar shattered the tense air behind them. Ian stumbled as the roar faded out.

"She's found us." Alan whispered, Ian stared through the trees, watching that orange dinosaur begin to break into the open.

"Stay safe."

Ian turned around just in time to see Billy pull Angela to him and crush their mouths together in a kiss. Ian stared, shocked as Billy's green hazel eyes opened and looked straight at him for a moment. Billy pulled away and Angela stared at him, tears in her surprised eyes as the blonde suddenly took off down the hill to their right.

"BILLY!"

"We need to go!" Alan yelled as Ian lurched forwards and caught Angela as she attempted to jump after the blonde, she was shaking in his arms, eyes wide with fear, "Angela! Ian!"

"Billy…"

"Angela come on!" Ian spun her around and grabber her arm, tugging the hysterical girl behind him as he ran after Alan. Raindrops began to hit his face and he grimaced as they broke through the outer rim of the forest, great just great.

A rainstorm was coming.


	18. Running back and forth

What the hell was wrong with him? That god damn idiot! How in the hell does he even come up with an idea like that? First he breaks his ribs  _then_  he comes up with the brilliant idea to run off right into the heart of all things violent,  _completely injured_   _by the way_ , and expects to come out alive?

I angrily smashed through a puddle as heavy rain poured down on all of us as we ran.

_Fucking hell Billy_ , you…my god, you didn't need to do that to prove a god damn point. Kissing me in front of Ian, running off like you were a hero…we were supposed to stick together, you promised. I cursed more in my head as Ian's hand gripped mine tighter as we maneuvered over a large log.

This whole trip was-pardon my French- utter shit. I just wanted to take pictures and write about new species that had been brought back to life but instead I'm being chased by carnivorous animals with an angry 'boyfriend' and a jealous lover all while being rained on and holding hands with the angry 'boyfriend' because I knew if I let go I'd probably, most likely, die. Oh, and let's not forget the father who looks like he died the minute he stepped onto this island. We had an injured warden and an emotional-moody teen that looked like he was on the verge of a breakdown. Just fucking great.

Ian pulled me down, crouching under the cover of tall bushes as Alan checked Muldoon's bleeding side. He huffed in exhaustion, the stale taste of air made me cough and Ian turned my head into his chest so it was muffled. The coughs hurt my sides and I cringed. Ian ran a rainy hand up and down my arm.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry about Billy." He muttered into my hair as I leaned against him, I sighed.

It was stupid of me to have asked Ian to take my side against Billy and my father. The fact that he turned to Muldoon for help surprised me; I was pissed at him…kinda. Ian shifted and looked down at me with an easy smile.

"So, how's your trip on Nublar?"

"Figured I'd take a hike to Sorna next. Maybe take an egg home with me as a souvenir." I responded, he laughed brokenly and I smiled. Rain splashed around us.

"Come here." Alan motioned to us and we crawled over to the cave Alan and Muldoon were taking cover under. I wiped my wet hair out of my face and slouched against the stone next to Clark as Ian and Alan tied a cloth around Muldoon's side again.

"Billy really left us." Clark whispered, I wrapped my arm around his shoulders and the teen collapsed against me, "He's not going to make it Angela."

"If he does, we'll kill him ourselves."

"He said he'd stay, he'd said he wouldn't leave." the teen mumbled, I felt a pang in my chest. This kid had trusted Billy…and Billy left.

"Hang in there for another day, we'll make it." I ruffled his hair as Alan came over to us, his eyes locked onto me before turning to Clark.

"How are you two holding up?"

"…We're dealing." I supplied, Alan sighed before taking off his hat and shaking it, Clark moved away to help Ian with Muldoon.

"Angela, about Billy-"

"I don't want to talk about it, much less think about it Dad."

"We'll get him back. I promise." Alan's arms wrapped me in a hug and I held on as a lump burned a hole in my throat, "I wasn't planning on leaving either of you two here."

I closed my eyes and cried for a moment, letting my dad hold me. I just wanted to go home now, I just wanted to sleep.

" _Alan_!"

We broke away and suddenly a hand covered my mouth as Alan pulled me up besides him along with Muldoon on the opposite side as a large scaly head nosed its way into our hideout. OH FUC-

"Stay perfectly still." Alan whispered.

The orange dinosaur's pitch black eyes swept over our cave, its nose inhaled deeply as it growled roughly in the back of its throat. I wanted to run but a quick look to Ian grounded me. The carnivore's head could barely fit in through the opening so its snout was the only thing that brushed against us. I cringed as a slimy, blood-reeking tongue reached out and swept over Alan and half of my side. He grimaced and the stench made me want to vomit.

The dinosaur growled and abruptly pulled out of the opening like something had gotten him from behind.

We all froze for a minute, listening to the pattering of the rain on the mud outside before we let out a sigh. Relief surged around us through the air. Alan looked to me before staring at everyone else.

"Now would be our time to move."

"Head North." Muldoon growled as we snuck out again, my ankle twisted as I sunk into the mud…in the shape of a giant footprint. Ian pulled me away as I stared.

"Any chance we have a radio?" Alan yelled to us as we broke into the jungle again, wet leaves slapped at our drenched clothes and my heart beat out like a drum in the loud silence.

* * *

SAN DIEGO

In a small coffee shop in downtown San Diego sat two women, both dressed fashionably lazily and both with steaming cups of tea. Ellie Sattler smiled at the light brunette across from her as she talked about her recent breakup. The fact that Ellie knew of Sarah Harding through Alan who knew from Ian was beside the point. Both women had been through hell, albeit Ellie blamed Alan for it even though she had openly volunteered to go to the Park. Sarah was just different, Ellie hated the Park and Sarah still wanted to go back and learn all about it. Ellie knew Ian would try and stop her with all his power, even if they hadn't broken up…hell, he'd always be there for her.

"I just don't get men." Sarah finished her story with a sigh and sipped at her tea, "You ask for some slack and they tighten their hold."

"Ian wanted to protect you is all." Ellie offered, "Alan just let me do whatever. Sometimes I wished he was a bit more protective.

"Yeah but it's like I'm Ian's  _dog_. He worries about me in the  _zoo_ , Ellie. The safest place I can be is at the zoo and at my house, but the man still worries."

"Ian was odd; I thought so when I first met him." Ellie laughed, brushing her blonde hair over her shoulder, "Alan couldn't understand him but now that Angela has his class at the university…it's like you two will always be circulating around our heads; which isn't a bad thing by the way."

"How does Angela like his class? I remember he tutored her for a while, for a month she'd stay over studying. Ian always accused me of trying to recruit her for the zoo."

"You did for a while." Ellie smiled and Sarah smirked to herself, "She's doing good, almost top of the class even. She liked Ian; he's one of her favorite people."

"You know…I'm just going to be honest about it, but for a while I thought Ian and Angela had hooked up." Sarah blushed and Ellie felt different emotions suddenly rush through her, "I realize it was stupid but sometimes Ian would just stare at her. I'm not trying to say Angela's into, you know, older men and I'm not trying to make you mad-"

"It's fine Sarah, it is." Ellie stopped her friend's mumbling, "I'm glad you told me, I am. But I'd like to think Ian has more respect for himself  _and_  Alan for that matter...You know, one time she brought home a twenty year old kid when she was sixteen so…you can say Angela lives up to your expectations sometimes."

"She's a smart kid…wasn't she with Alan's assistant or…or…whatever?"

"Oh, she loved Billy to death. I haven't told her because she's always gone from home but he calls sometimes just to check up on her. She was heartbroken when they broke it off, came crying home and spilled her feelings. Thankfully Alan wasn't around or else he would have strangled Billy."

"Will they ever…?"

"I hope so, obviously Billy still loves her and Angie always talks about him when she comes back from visiting Alan at the dig sites. You know what, between Ian and her schoolwork, Billy's the only other thing she ever talks about."

"Ian  _does_  stick to people's memory, I'll give him that."

"Schoolgirl crushes then." Ellie dreamily smiled as the tea bag floated in the dark green liquid, "I remember when I first saw Alan, all I could think about was him. I nearly failed his class."

Ellie laughed as Sarah rolled her eyes and began talking about her future trip to Africa. She was supposed to leave a week and a half ago but she had been called back to the zoo in an emergency. Come to think of it, Ellie hadn't heard anything from Alan or Angela for the past few days and it was beginning to gnaw at her. Alan phoned, usually after his flights back to his dig to let her know he arrived, something she managed to make a habit of him doing. Angela called her every few days to let out her angst about college. Ellie sighed inside, then again Angela was always unpredictable.

Beep-Beep.

Ellie jumped as her phone chirped on the table before flipping it open with a sheepish smile to Sarah. Sarah tried to cover her laugh behind a gulp of tea.

"Hello?"

"Sarah, it's me Lex-Lex Murphy."

"Lex?" Ellie's eyes widened in surprise and Sarah raised an eyebrow, "Oh my goodness it's been so long, how have-"

"We don't have time for formal hellos." Lex interrupted on the other line and Ellie sat up straighter.

"Lex what's wrong? Are you and your brother okay?"

"My brother's fine. He sent a team out to the Park."

"Yeah, I've heard about it in the paper, is he alright?"

"He's fine, he's right next to me,  _the_   _idiot_. We've got a distress signal last night around one…"

"Okay…" Ellie frowned.

"Ellie…Alan's on the island along with your daughter and Doctor Malcolm. They've been stuck there for days…"

The phone dropped from Ellie's hand and clattered onto the table as everything in Ellie went cold and numb. She could hear Sarah, could feel the other woman's hands on her, shaking her.

Oh god…Alan…Angela…

"Mark."

"What?" Sarah snapped as Ellie's lips formed her husband's name again. They were causing a small scene and Ellie could feel their stares, "Ellie? What's wrong?"

"They're on the island, call Mark."

Sarah's eyes widened in fear and surprise before she was dragging Ellie out of the coffee house and into the cold air outside, the world wasn't so warm and bright again. Ellie' couldn't feel a thing.

"Sarah we need to-"

"I can do better." Sarah growled as they hailed a cab, Ellie blinked as the world came rushing in around her.

She was going to murder all of them when they get back home.

* * *

ANGELA

I looked across at my father as we tried to relax in the tree we had climbed up when Muldoon couldn't continue walking any more. Ian and Clark were dozing on branches above us and Muldoon was slumped over one next to Alan dead asleep. I shifted and cracked my neck, the loud pop rang out.

"So...how did you guys find out I was here?"

"You're email was open at Ian's place, from there we figured it out…and Angela, you know I want you to experience the good thing's in life but," Alan glanced to the dark haired figure above us, "I'm not sure that's an experience I fully approve of."

"Well you haven't killed him yet." I joked, "So you must like him enough."

"I appreciate the fact that he cares about you but there's a fine line between caring and taking you to bed." He winced at the last part and I tried not to feel uneasy, "He should have more respect for you and him."

"Like you did when Ellie was  _your_  student?" I countered, Alan sputtered before smiling fondly and swatting at my leg, "Dad, I get your point okay? After this though...I don't think you'll have to worry anymore ."

"The point is that I don't want you hurt like what happened with Billy. You invest a lot in people honey." Alan ignored the last part and stared at me softly, "And it hurts you in the end."

"It's funny, you know." I laughed as I picked a wet leaf off my shoulder, "I came here hoping to see a living dinosaur and instead I'm in a love triangle with Billy who's jealous and Ian who's jealous and now you who's telling me to end it…and you wonder why I had panic attacks when I was in high school. My trip turned out to be survival of the emotionally fittest."

"All I'm saying is that you called both of them idiots."

"Every girl says that about a guy she likes, we just say it with insults instead of love. Besides, mom said that you were too serious and awkward."

"…Does that qualify as an idiot?" he raised and eyebrow and I shrugged.

"Sure, why not."

We laughed then grew silent, happy to be in each other's presence again. I rested my head on his shoulder and he wrapped an arm around me.

"You're difficult, you know that right?" he murmured as I began to doze off.

"You're just saying that because we're in a tree Dad."

"The last time I was in a tree, it didn't go well," he sighed, "You need to stop growing up so fast."

"I'll be working digs in a few moths with you. Pretty soon you'll get tired of me like you do Billy."

Silence fell over us and Alan squeezed my shoulder.

"We'll find him Angela, go to sleep."

The rain fell like fire as pain poured through my chest. I doubted what Alan said, for the first time in my life I couldn't believe my father.

* * *

BILLY

He could see it; he could finally see the tip of the building now. Non-stop running and dodging under bushes had kept him in the clear. Looking back it probably wasn't the best idea running off but damn it if he wasn't going to try and help. Billy shifted in the coverage of the tree he was in and his hair stuck to his forehead. He could barely breath due to his ribs but he was almost there. He had estimated it to be two or three more miles of pained running which wasn't bad but…the raptors were scattered and he had nearly crashed into a nest earlier.

He jumped up a few branches as the raptor pack ran underneath his spot, cloaked by darkness.

Suddenly a far off high pitched scream echoed around and Billy's entire body tensed.

"Angela."

* * *

ANGELA

My muscles burnt with exertion, I could feel myself slip from the branch I was hanging from. I gritted my teeth as I kicked my legs beneath me. The bark dug into my already torn up my hands; I cried out in pain as I gripped the branch again.

"Hold on!" Ian called to me as he dropped from above and clamped his hands on my upper arms; I gritted my teeth as adrenaline seeped into my muscles. W _hat else could I even god damned do?_

We hadn't even been asleep for a full forty-five minutes before I woke up to a claw swinging at me. The raptors had smelt us out and had managed to shimmy up our tree. I had kicked it back but had lost my balance, causing me to stumble and nearly fall out of the tree.

Hence, my current dilemma.

Ian grunted and I swung my legs trying to gain momentum to pull myself up. The raptors beneath us jumped and sprinted into the tree trying to climb, one had nearly nicked my foot. Ian jerked me onto the branch and I curled my hands into fists, god it hurt.

"Move Angela!" Alan called to me, Ian helped me balance and we began climbing higher into the tree, shrieks of unearthly noises surrounded us on all sides. I looked down between the branches I was standing on. The raptors were steadily making their way up.

"How far have these things evolved?" I shouted to Ian as he helped me up another branch.

"Do you really want to find out?" he asked breathlessly. I grimaced and jumped up another, my hands had gone numb from the pain. The only feeling I had was the fear running through my veins.

"Grab my hand!" Alan shouted down to me, I slapped my numb hand in his and he hauled me up. The raptors were gaining leverage and above us there were only thin branches barely strong enough to hold a mouse. Muldoon and Clark were below us throwing sharp branches down at the predators as Ian and Alan bent forward trying to grab the thick branch connecting to the closest tree.

Oh fuck I hated trees.

"How the hell did they figure out how to climb?" Muldoon roared as the caws of the raptors continued to sound out.

"Ask questions later!" Alan yelled back, "Get up here!"

The two maneuvered up the branches to us and I looked to see the thick branch positioned as a walkway, I looked to Ian.

"Oh  _hell_ -"

"It's the only way!" he shouted to me, "If you move fast it won't break."

"You don't know shit about physics Ian! How could you-CLARK!"

I watched as the teen stepped onto the branch and began shimmying his way across to the adjoining tree, he disappeared into the leaves of the tree as quickly as he had jumped out of our own. Alan and Muldoon shared a look before Muldoon stepped up. It was like some sort of movie that was based on real life but in no way could be fucking believable. The raptors hadn't noticed Clark or Muldoon yet; most were still trying to climb up the tree towards us.

"You come right after me." Alan gripped my shoulder as I clung to the tree, I nodded, "Don't look down, just crawl."

"Alan!"

He turned around and Ian helped him in the branch, I screamed as something snapped against my foot. I kicked back on instinct, using the branches as leverage and watched my heel slam into a dark eye.

"Ian!"

"GO!" Ian tugged me after him and suddenly it was me versus the weathered branch. Ian looked to me as he balanced himself on the branch, he held out his hand, "Angela!"

"It won't hold both our weights! Go first!"

"I'm not leaving you again, Angela!"

"Ian, fucking go!" I shouted, glancing over my shoulder to the dinosaur coming out of the tree, Ian gave me one last look before he slowly crossed the adjoining branch.

He jumped safely into the other tree next to Alan, watching me.

_Don't look down, don't look down…_

There was a screech and I jumped onto the branch, the raptor had broken free behind me and lunged.

My feet slid and I smacked onto the rough branch as the raptor lost its own footing and fell twenty feet down. I cringed as a sickening crack sounded out below us but I gripped the trunk and swung so I straddled the branch again before peering below me. The pack of raptors surrounded their fallen companion, the sounds had stopped and now they were just sniffing at the dead dinosaur. One of them cocked its head at the animal and nosed its neck before turning and chirping at the other raptors.

They attacked the dead heap with a malicious fervor that not even a cannibal could compete with.

"Angela!" Alan harshly called to me over the new calls being made below. I shook in fear, I could barely hear my heart beat.

"I'm coming." I answered weakly, feeling sick to my stomach as I pulled my body the rest of the way. Alan helped me up and hugged me as hard as he could considering the fact that we were in a tree.

"I told you to be more careful!" Ian hissed as we followed Alan down the tree. All the raptors were busy now, we could slip away quickly. I still felt sick, "God damnit Angela why don't you ever listen?"

"Why don't you try being nearly bitten by a fucking dinosaur and tell me how it is?" I snapped back, pausing mid way through my climb to glare. Ian huffed.

"I already did."

"…"

"…"

"Oh fuck you Malcolm! You insufferable prick-"

"Don't you dare start this now-"

"You let Billy go! You're such an assh-"

"I came after you and dragged your sorry ass to safety while-"

"Not now you two!" Alan called to us; I glared, jerking away from his grasp before jumping down the branches quickly. I landed on the ground hard and Muldoon pulled me with him as Alan and Ian ran behind us.

"You know." Alan grunted to the other tall man as they ran away from the chaos behind, "She was worse in high school."

That didn't surprise him.


	19. We're going home

The sun beat down on us relentlessly, we were a good way away from the monstrous building and lighthouse but the fresh air and light kept me happy. The raptor forest was behind us and we were surrounded by knee high grass, I was thankful for that because it meant we wouldn't be taken by surprise. Ian and Clark were holding Muldoon up; the game warden was completely exhausted. His shirt was stained with blood from the gash which was no doubt infected by now…but he was lucid which was good.

"Hold up." Ian stopped and Muldoon winced, trying to find balance in his feet, Ian looked to us, "Should we be worried about this?"

"About what?" Alan pushed ahead, dragging me with him and I instantly recoiled at the small pack of animals in the middle of out way. Alan and Ian studied them, Clark and Muldoon just stared while I tried to figure out what they were.

They were small, a height of maybe a four year old. I frowned as I noticed a small roll in its neck as three of the creatures ripped into a carcass. There was some sort of black goo dripping from the red in its lips.

"Dilophosaurus." Alan finally voiced and that cracked chip of memory in my brain was filled, "Known for their black poison which they spit at prey to paralyze and kill. These ones have evolved though-do you see the shades of color underneath their belly? Exactly like a chameleon perhaps used for camouflage or-or-"

"Dad." I put a hand on his shoulder and he looked back, "You know it's awesome when you get all happy about your dino stuff but…there's a new problem."

"What?"

I pointed to the lumbering brown porcupine-looking creature that was making a V to the three dilophosaurus' eating. Alan frowned and stood up.

"…I don't know what that is."

I watched the dilo's raised their heads from the carcass to stare at the new animal approaching. It was literally like a giant porcupine right down to the quills rising in defense as one dilo stepped forward to sniff it curiously.

Suddenly the quills shivered and shot out of the dinosaur at least fifty of them sunk into the black dinosaur and another ten sunk into the hard ground. I blinked as the dilophosaur immediately froze mid-sniff then promptly dropped like a sack of bricks, dead. The other carnivores gave a shrill shriek before high tailing away into the grass in fear. The porcupine-thing shuffled past the dead dino, across the road in front of us and into the tall grass.

We all stood there in silent surprise.

"That was anti-climactic." Clark muttered, shaking us out of our trance and making us chuckle.

"C'mon, we'll go up the uh, the lighthouse and the top." Ian adjusted his grip on Malcolm and started forward, "Angela, get the door?"

"Got it." I jogged ahead of the peeling red-white door of the lighthouse. The metal burnt my hands but the numbness hadn't worn off yet so it was a welcomed feeling.

I jerked the door open as Ian and Clark dragged Muldoon in along with Alan. I took one last look at the park behind me.

This had been everything I had ever dreamed of, dinosaurs alive on earth thundering their ways across valleys and forests. I was able to feel their skin underneath my fingers and hold one in my arms…but they weren't real, they were copies of the originals and with each copy something doesn't fit exactly the same. Dinosaurs didn't possess strands of frog DNA and they didn't live in the same god damn ozone as they did now. Carnivores ate meat and herbivores ate leaves; it had been black and white simplicity but now it was different colors screwing up the picture, it was all a façade. I sighed and pulled the giant door shut behind me, locking the Park out of the tower.

"I'm too old for this," Alan breathed as I caught up to them on the winding staircase, all the men were breathing heavily in exertion…Clark and I were the only ones that were relatively okay, "Give me a dinosaur and I can outrun it but stairs…"

"Now I know why you hate visiting my apartment." I grinned at Alan as I purposefully jumped up stairs, "I told you to get a gym membership."

"You tell everyone to get a membership." Ian muttered as we continued walking up the steps, I rolled my eyes.

"Stop complaining."

"Angela." Alan sighed; I looked back around and raised an eyebrow. He waved a hand, "Why don't you run up there then, make sure everything's safe before us old people have to walk up another hundred flights only to have our asses handed to us."

I nodded and started jogging up the stairs at a controlled pace with Clark right next to me as the other sat down to regain their breath.

"So…what are you going to do when you get home?" Clark huffed between breaths as we circled three times above the men, I managed to shrug.

"Punch Tim Murphy in the face, get my money then go to a hospital?" I smiled and sidestepped a hole, "You?"

"Sounds like a plan I could get in on."

We stopped on a flat level and I felt my heart beat rapidly, I moved closer to the giant cracked window as Clark tried to regain his breath. I crouched and looked out, counting to ten twice as the heat and humidity tried to fog up my head.

"Clark, look." I pointed outside and the teen came over.

The ocean was to my left, bright blue and untouched and to my right was the parl…perfectly split down the middle. Clark smiled and tapped the glass where the ocean was.

"I like this side better."

"Can't argue with you there." I stood up, head swimming at the suddenness before everything straightened out, "Ready?"

Suddenly there was a rush of air and a brown mangled carcass smacked into the railing next to us, I screamed before slapping a hand over my mouth and watched as the mangled flesh slowly slid off the railing and dropped down. I heard a wet smack a few seconds later, Clark and I stepped to the railing and looked over.

"What was that? Angie? Clark!" Alan called up, looking up at us over his side of the railing as well. I let out a slow breath.

"J-just… _shit_ , was that a body? I don't know, it dropped from above us." I waved my hand down at him, "It's nothing. Sorry for screaming."

I smiled weakly and looked back to Clark who was staring wide eyed at my shoulder like it just murdered someone. I frowned.

"What? Clark what's wrong?"

I looked to my shoulder and froze as fresh blood soaked up from my shirt. I jerked back, ripping open my shirt to my shoulder and traced over my unmarred skin.

"What the hell?" I hissed, looking for any cuts in my skin, Clark was still staring at me, "Where did that-"

A new drop splashed onto my shoulder from above, the blood slid over the pores in my skin and down as my breath came short. Clark and I locked eyes before slowly looking above us.

A raptor stared down at us curiously from a floor above, blood dripping from its jaws and hit my face. Clark cursed next to me as the raptor cocked it head and sprayed more blood onto us. We grimaced as it hit our faces, the raptor kept a close eye on us as it made its way down the winding staircase. I pushed Clark behind me as the raptor ticked its large claw…something told me that this species were the ones that kept Ellie and Ian up at night.

"Dad?" I called out, moving a step backwards for ever step the approaching raptor took.

"Yeah?" his response echoed around us and the raptor cocked its head again,

"Don't move! Stay where you are!" I called back, I gripped Clark's hand as the raptor suddenly jumped down to the flat level, "Whatever you do…stay calm."

The raptor crouched and Clark pressed closer to my side, shaking…or maybe I was the one shaking.

"Run when I say so."

I glared at the raptor as it made a series of garbled clicks and flexed its claws and shifted as it swung its tail back and forth…this thing was like a cat. Its teeth shone from the light in the window and I squared my shoulder, like hell I was going to go down now. Clark breathed slowly and I counted down the seconds.

The raptor lunged.

I pulled Clark onto the stairs, our chests stinging in pain at the sudden force and the raptor soared right over our heads and smacked into the wall headfirst before ricocheting on the steps half a level. I jerked Clark up and we stumbled over the flat level.

"Go! Run!"

We jumped up the steps, nearly crawling as we stumbled in a rush to get height. The raptor was screeching in anger as it righted itself back up and gave chase to us, the dinosaur stumbled on the steps and Clark pointed up a level as we circled.

"Door!"

"That means nothing!" I shouted, giving the teen an extra boost as the raptor screeched behind us.

My thighs burned and my stomach cramped as we reached the top level and stumbled into the metal door. I pulled at it with all of my strength along with Clark, adrenalin and hysteria washed through me. I tried to count down the seconds before the raptor got to us, I could hear Alan and the others yelling at us from below. The door didn't even budge.

"Fuck!" I pounded on the door and Clark grabbed my shirt, my lungs burnt.

"Angela!"

I whipped around and pulled Clark to the side as the raptor stood down the stairs staring at us hungrily. We weren't on a wide level, Clark and I took up half of it so we couldn't even dodge around the dinosaur if we got a chance.

My hair fell in my face as I guarded Clark with my body, the raptor clicked gargily again. Clark wrapped his arms around my waist from behind and I held onto him, trying to ignore the shaking from me and him…I felt the dread and iciness wash through me

"I'm sorry Clark."

"It's okay. I'm glad you're with me."

The raptor lunged again for the last time. I closed my eyes and turned, holding Clark to my chest, this was it.

But the jaws around my neck never came.

The door swung open next to us and I turned at the sound of an angry roar, not from the raptor but from something else. I watched as a dirtied and bloodied man swung at the vicious dinosaur with a heavy pipe. There was a crack and I watched as the raptor lost its footing and collapsed on the railing. The railing groaned under the weight and snapped, sending the raptor over the edge and down to the ground.

There was a smack and then there was silence. I could hear my heart beat along with Clark's.

We were breathing heavily; Clark whimpered as I slowly loosened my hold around him, I watched the dirtied man heave the pipe over the side as well. He stilled before turning around, I couldn't…I just…

"Oh my god, Billy."

I rushed forwards, Billy grinned tiredly as I wrapped my arms around his waist and he crushed me to him. I cried into his shoulder immediately as I clutched his jacket, relief flooded through me at his touch and breath across my face. The color of his blue eyes had dimmed in fatigue and it looked like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. I touched his face, smearing dirt across his cheek and he leaned into the touch.

"I hate you, my god I hate you." I whispered, kissing his lips softly. Billy nodded and murmured 'yeah, whatever you say' in my ear breathlessly. I pulled back as Clark came up and hugged the blonde as well, "God you were so stupid-freaking scared me to death."

"You're not going to believe it." he smiled as I heard the others come up the stairs, "But help is already on its way, frequency came in over our radio."

Alan and the others came to us and I glued myself to Billy's side. Clark jogged to help Muldoon and Ian and I closed my eyes for a second as Billy kissed my cheek. Billy nudged open the doors at Alan's surprised stare. Alan shook his head before clapping Billy on the shoulder.

"Your mom found out, called the Navy and the Marines." he voiced.

"Good to see you Billy." Ian looked between us, something flashing in his eyes before walking past us with Muldoon and Clark into a broken into control tower.

"We can climb through the blown out window, go down the ladder and go down to the dock." Billy explained as we settled into the area, he leaned against me; "Staying by the water is our safest bet."

"You do realize that uh, that the dinosaurs will attack us even if we're in a wave." Ian brought up as Muldoon passed out in a moth eaten chair, "We're meat in or out of the water."

"They have a worse chance than us then, we know how to swim and they don't…maybe." Clark grunted as we all looked to the ocean spread out before us.

"They left this place a mess." I muttered as Billy hopped onto the panels and sat down with a huff. He tugged me to his side as we enjoyed the safety of the control room for the moment.

"Bless Ellie." Alan laughed lightly, looking out the open window and to the sea. I turned around and joined him in looking at the slowly appearing ship coming around the corner of the island; I put a hand over my mouth in disbelief and laughed, collapsing against Billy.

"We're going home." Billy grinned as I hugged him again; he laughed and pulled back before kissing me softly, like we weren't surrounded by chaos or death in the air.

It was like we were in my apartment again and I had just walked in on him returning from a long dig. I smiled and pulled away, brushing the dried dirt from his face and running my fingers through his hair.

"So how was your stay at the Jurassic Park Inn?" he whispered, I shook my head and turned to everyone else as they began to shout and wave their arms at the boats, "Door, Angela."

He nodded to the door as Alan began waving a piece of glass in the air, making it flash. I nodded and gave him a quick kiss before moving to the door.

"Be quick."

"You're not going alone."

Ian placed a hand on my shoulder as I opened the door. I felt like a kid who had been caught doing something wrong. He gave me a look and I looked away. There were so many things I wanted to say to him…mostly apologize. I took a breath and shrugged it off before Ian and I went out and began jumping the steps down to the dock.

The smell of tar, wood and salt hit me like a brick but I welcomed it. I was so tired of smelling pine trees.

We raced across the deck to the only docking line as several heavy duty machine boats powered their way closer. USMC proudly stood out on the sides; we began to wave our arms wildly as we raced to the edge of the dock. My voice hurt as I screamed and shouted and I swore I couldn't be making more than a peep.

The answering blare of a horn and the thundering of a chopper's blades in the air reminded me that everything was going to be alright. I turned to Ian as he smiled in relief.

"I'll go get the others!" I shouted as the chopper began landing by the lighthouse, he nodded and turned to guide the chopper down as I took off back to the stairs.

I jumped up and looked back to see dozens of marines pouring out of the ship as it crashed onto the beach. I crashed through the doors where Clark and Alan were already lifting Muldoon up. I grabbed Billy, letting him lean his weight on me as he clutched his side before filing out of the building. The chopper was still thundering but the medical team in it was already sprinting towards us with a gurney.

We touched down on the dock for a second before they surrounded us, I could hear my father directing them to Muldoon instead of us. There were people shouting, it could have been us or them I don't know. I stayed by Billy's side as the medics rushed Muldoon's body away and into the chopper before hoisting him up and away. Billy mumbled something and his weight sagged, Clark pulled us to the boat on the dock.

I stopped though and Billy looked to me, fingers twitching in mine as I turned to stare at the Park.

The Marines and a small tank were pushing their way into the forest, trees cracked and fell down. A part of me was happy to go home and be safe but the other part of me, the one I had arrived here as, still longed to explore the animals. I looked down before I felt Billy tilt my head up.

"You know, I've got this weird feeling about not wanting o leave…"

"I know Angela, I do. But this island, this place isn't what it was supposed to be." He smiled and kissed me softly again before squeezing my shoulder.

I led him onto the ship where I was immediately brought into a hug with Alan before we were taken away into the medical bay. The boat lurched and I leaned against the metal hull as doctors ran in a fury around us, I felt a pain in my arm and looked down to find a nurse dabbing at a needle mark with a wet cloth. I was pushed down into a gurney and frowned as everything began to go white.

"I love you." Billy whispered as he grabbed my hand, he smiled before being pushed onto a gurney himself. I locked my fingers through his and watched as the white began to leak into my vision.

"I love you too.

The Park drifted away as we moved farther out into the sea, I closed my eyes and let the darkness take me.

The chaos…was gone.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FIN


	20. Epilogue

The classroom was clean for once, the air smelt like a freshly erased white board and the air conditioning had actually been turned on for once...it was like the past year hadn't even happened.

The same went for the man who was standing at his podium, focusing on the sheets of paper in front of him with his glasses perched on his nose carelessly. he shifted, leaning on his forearm as he held the paper closer to his face. I smiled from my spot at the open door, feeling something in me flutter as Ian rubbed his neck in concentration or exasperation.

"Knock, knock."

Ian's head snapped up at my voice, surprised before a warm smile graced his features as I came in. He took his glasses off and held open his arms, that broken laugh breaking though his lips as I walked over and gave him a warm hug.

"Well, well, well look who it is." he smiled and ruffled my hair before stepping back, "It's good to uh, to see you again Angela. You look nice."

"Oh come off of it." I blushed, smacking his hands away as I pulled my bag higher on my shoulder. I smiled, "I'm not a stranger Ian so don't treat me like one...you weren't at graduation."

"I uh...I know, Sarah called and we-"

"Ian." I interrupted him with another smile and his sharp eyes snapped to mine. I took his hand, making a point to tap the silver ring on his finger, "I'm happy for you Ian, you loved Sarah more than anything and Kelly does too. I'm glad you two worked it out."

"Angela we-"

"Were good together too." I cut him off again and dropped our hands, "But after the Park Ian, it was like we could barely stand each other."

Ian sighed but didn't argue, he knew that I was right.

When we touched down back in the states after Jurassic Park, Billy had been flown to UCLA to be treated for his ribs and infections along with Muldoon's injuries. Clark was flown back home for the burial of his brother the Marines had found. I had gone with my dad and Ian to a different hospital before we visited the Murphy's. That had gone down in a screaming match but the Park was now under full control of the government. The Murphy's didn't even own a single grain of sand on that island...they weren't too sad about it in the end. At all.

Even after that though, when I went home with Ian things just changed; we could barely look at each other because all I could remember was our fight in the tree and the unspoken curses that had flown between us along with the lies...It got to the point where I'd be doing my homework at the public library and sleeping there with a change of clothes just so I wouldn't have to go back and face him. Ian changed his schedule and I dropped his class, I took my clothes from his place back to my apartment then...we just stopped.

I never saw him unless I happened to glance up and spot his tall, dark figure walking across campus with professors. I was sad and heartbroken but after a while I understood. Ian couldn't cope by crying, he coped with me nearly dying and him returning to the island by cutting off whatever and whoever had been at that island.

Then I saw him and Sarah in a coffee shop maybe a week before graduation and had felt happy for once to see him again. We had locked eyes and I had waved to the two of them before Billy had attacked me with a hug from behind. We had left and that was it.

Ian had Sarah and I had Billy again, we were both perfectly happy.

"For what it's worth, I-I'm sorry." Ian sighed and leaned against his podium, I shrugged.

"You're the one who came up with the idea that chaos, while destructive, made beautiful things...which is why-"

"Angela!"

I turned around to find Sarah coming straight towards me with a sly smile on her lips. she game me a quick hug and I flushed as she laughed.

"I heard the news, I'm so happy for you!" she smiled and Ian regarded us with weary eyes.

"What are you two uh...what are you going on about?"

I smiled as Sarah put her things down and kissed Ian on the cheek. After Ian and I split I told Sarah about our relationship and strangely enough she just accepted it then teased me of being a reverse female cougar...I hated that.

"Billy and I are engaged Ian." I smiled and Ian's eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Really?"

"The ring is beautiful." Sarah gushed, I took the ring from around the necklace on my neck and handed it to her, "You two look great together."

"Thank you. Billy wants it over and done with and I don't really want a traditional wedding so we're heading to Vegas when he comes back from the dig...our party is this weekend, we want you both to come."

"We'll be there." Sarah interrupted Ian before he could object, giving back my ring. Ian shared a look with me, a small smile on his face as Sarah took his hand in her own, "Why didn't we have a big wedding?"

"Because you uh, you wanted it to be fast and quick." Ian laughed, I turned around as Billy came sauntering in with a cheeky smile, "Congratulations Billy on your engagement."

"Thank you Ian, hi Sarah." he smiled and I leaned back in his arms, he nodded to the two before turning us to the entrance, "C'mon your dad is waiting for us."

"You two better be at the party this weekend! Bye Sarah!" I waved back to them, Ian waved as well before giving me a look and smiling himself. I felt something warm spread inside of me as we walked out of the building. The sun hit our faces and Billy wrapped an arm around me as we walked to the parking lot.

"So I hear there's a boat going out to Isle Nublar next year to capture some dinosaurs."

"Oh shut up, no way." I laughed and he grinned, shaking his head, "Haven't people learned by now?"

"Apparently not, people still want to see if the dinosaurs can change and be put in a zoo."

I sighed and looked over the lush green campus as we walked to the empty charcoal lot where my father was waiting patiently. Billy looked over to me and stopped us, smiling as the ring shone on my neck. I twisted the silver ring on his left finger.

"If there's one thing the history of evolution has taught me, it's that life won't be contained. God created the dinosaurs and he ended them Billy, what does that say about us since we re-created them?"

"That we'll go to any lengths to restore the things we love..." he brushed a piece of my hair away from my face and I smiled, "Along with curiosity."

"Now that Billy Brennon...is truly chaos."


End file.
